Beyond the Facade
by Lost Voice
Summary: The Silver Millennium may have been a time of peace in respect to wars and official policies, but it was a time of intense pain, fear, hurt, loss, misery, confusion, and loneliness for the princesses and prince of the respective planets. They were all for
1. So We Meet Again

This is the second story in a series of four stories. The first   
story was called "Queen Serenity's Childhood." Although you do not   
need to read that story to understand or follow this one at all,   
it would give you a background on the Queen of the Moon Kingdom at   
this time as well as make some small details make more sense.   
There will probably be about nine chapters in this story as well  
as a prologue and an epilogue.  
  
Note-Although i use the English dub names for my stories because   
those are the only versions i have seen, i am not blind or  
ignorant to the relationship Amara and Michelle truly have. If you   
are too ignorant, prejudiced, or narrow minded to read about two   
women in love then you might as well just hit the back button   
right now because you'll be offended by this story. Although they   
are not the major characters of this story, they are two of the   
ten main characters, and i refuse to make them something they are   
not. i accept them for who they are. If you cannot do the same,   
this story is not for you.  
  
Prologue, So We Meet Again:  
  
Princess Serena got out of bed slowly. The dream she had   
just woken up from still fresh in her mind. *He smiled and picked   
her up again. Spinning her around and around. She looked down at   
his kind brown eyes and smooth brown hair as the colors of brown   
and green blurred around her. She squealed and giggled in   
delight.* It was the only memory she had of her father. She sat   
down at the white chair in front of her vanity table and mirror.   
She brushed her hair coming from the two buns on top of her head,   
running her fingers through it and enjoying the silky feeling as   
she prepared to go see her friends for the first time since she   
was four she was told though she could only vaguely recollect that   
last meeting. The disagreements amongst many of the planets in   
the Silver Millennium Alliance had caused the meetings among all   
the planets in the Alliance to become much more common as well as   
occur at a different location. Thus none of the princesses had   
seen each other for four years now. Now that debates were becoming   
much less common and tempers were much less fiery, the meetings   
would return to occurring annually at the Moon Kingdom Palace.   
*Well except for Mina,* Serena thought. Princess Mina and Princess   
Serena had seen each other often in the last four years becoming   
quite close. Mina was very quiet. Serena was sometimes quiet too,   
but her passion often took over and caused her to become very   
talkative. She went into the large room that was specifically   
designed for children to have fun in. *Only mother would think of   
something like this for us. Most of any of the other parents would   
expect us to behave as princesses no matter what our age, and   
princesses never do anything childish-or fun for that matter,* she   
thought acerbically. Inwardly upset with those stuck up Kings and   
Queens. Mina was in there waiting for her, and Serena lit up.   
Serena sat down next to her silent friend who looked at her and   
smiled a bit. Serena wrapped her arms around her softly and hugged   
her close. "Love you best friend Mina," she said. Mina's blue   
seven year old eyes filled with tears as she hugged her best   
friend back. "Do not be scared Mina. I know we have not seen these   
people in so long. It will be all right. I am right here with   
you," she said, trying to reassure her frightened, timid friend.   
Mina looked at her and smiled and even giggled a little when   
Serena stuck her tongue out in a weird fashion.   
  
Princess Raye, the only one as old as Serena in the inner   
solar system anyway, was the first to arrive. As soon as she   
entered Serena was left with a cold feeling. She owned the room   
from the moment she walked in. Mina whimpered and scooted closer   
to and behind Serena. Serena scooted in front of her while   
holding her hand behind her back. Raye sneered. "She too much of   
a wimp to fight her own battles?" she asked harshly. Mina   
whimpered again. Serena's eyes narrowed. Despite being afraid of   
this black haired, black eyed raven girl, she would not have   
anyone insult or hurt her dearest friend.   
  
"Back off," Serena said angrily.  
  
Raye sneered again. "You do not have much more of a   
backbone do you wimp?"  
  
"What is your problem?" a quiet yet strong and confident   
voice asked from the doorway. An older girl with shoulder length   
sea blue hair and eyes that spoke of the depths of the oceans   
stood in the doorway. She entered.   
  
"Who are you?" Raye asked coldly.  
  
"Michelle of the planet Neptune."  
  
"Raye of the planet Mars," Raye said haughtily.  
  
"I suppose you think you are so much better than any of   
us? Leave those two alone."  
  
"Or what?" Raye sneered.  
  
"Or you will have to deal with me and Amara of Uranus   
when she gets here."  
  
"I am not scared of you two," Raye announced.  
  
The blond haired Amara with eyes of many colors, green   
and blue dancing in them, entered the room brusquely. "You should   
be," she said, her fists clenched and her eyes glaring at the   
fiery Princess of Mars.  
  
Raye smirked at her but turned around haughtily and sat   
down in another part of the room alone. Amara's face remained   
emotionless as the ten year old sat down near Serena and Mina.   
Michelle joined her. Mina peeked out from behind Serena. "There   
is nothing to be scared of," Michelle said gently.   
  
"That is right. We would not harm you kid," Amara   
promised. Mina slowly scooted out near Amara, and Amara held her   
hand comfortingly. Serena looked up to see a quiet girl with long   
blue hair enter the room. Michelle followed Serena's gaze and   
stood up to say hi to the Princess of Mercury.   
  
"Hello, I am Michelle of Neptune."  
  
"Hello, I am Amy of Mercury," Princess Amy responded   
softly, looking into Michelle's deep ocean blue eyes with her own   
dark blue eyes. She sat down next to them, but she pulled out a   
book and began reading it. Michelle smiled and looked back at   
Serena, Amara, and Mina. Serena was about to ask Amy about the   
book she was so interested in reading when a girl with long brown   
hair in braids entered the room. She looked around, her eyes   
swiftly passing over the group of girls and resting on Raye   
sitting by herself in another area of the room. She began to walk   
towards Raye.   
  
"I would not do that," Michelle cautioned.  
  
"Yes, she is really mean and scary," Serena said, trying   
to warn the petite brown haired girl.  
  
She turned to them. Her chocolate brown eyes were set in  
determination as she said, "Yeah well, so am I. Maybe we have   
something in common," and walked over to the Princess of Mars   
swiftly. Raye looked at her coldly but said nothing. "I am Lita   
of the planet Jupiter, and you are Raye of Mars right?"  
  
"Correct," Raye said frostily.   
  
Lita sat down next to her anyway. Although the two did   
not seem to speak at first, Serena noticed that they were soon   
absorbed in conversation. *Well at least someone understands   
Raye and can keep her company,* Serena thought in astonishment.  
Michelle jumped up as an older, teenage girl with long, silky   
green hair walked in calmly. "Trista," she said quietly.  
  
Trista nodded at her. "Michelle," she responded quietly.  
  
Serena stood up too, seeing Mina was content and safe   
with Amara. "I am Serena of the Moon."  
  
"Trista of the planet Pluto," Princess Trista said   
politely. She sat down with them though her light crimson eyes   
had a faraway, distant look in them.   
  
Serena was intrigued by her, but not as intrigued as she   
was by the next to enter. A young girl, four to be exact, with   
short black hair and flinty black eyes entered mysteriously. Her   
hair was chopped in such an odd fashion, and she looked so   
small, thin, and frail. Mina looked up at her. Her eyes   
locked with the girl, a silent understanding passing between   
them that no one else understood though Trista, Michelle, and   
Amara all took note of it.   
  
She stood there silently as Serena approached her   
cautiously. "Hello, I am Serena of the Moon, and you are?"  
  
"Hotaru of Saturn," she responded so quietly Serena   
could barely hear her.   
  
"Please will you sit with us?" Serena asked kindly.  
  
Hotaru nodded and after looking around the room in awe,   
sat down silently. She and Mina continued to look at one   
another though they were some distance away from one another.   
  
The last to enter, and perhaps the most interesting   
since he was the only male of the group, was Prince Darien of   
Earth. Serena remembered him well. Besides Mina, he was the   
only one clear in her mind. His smooth dark black hair and dark   
blue eyes stood out in her mind. She jumped up, trying to hide   
her excitement when he entered the room. She approached him, but   
he turned his back and walked towards Raye and Lita.   
Disappointed and hurt, Serena sat back down with the rest of the   
princesses, smiling so as not to show her hurt.   
  
The time passed uneventfully. Raye and Lita talked   
between each other the whole time. Darien interjected a word   
here and there, but for the most part he was sitting there   
drawing. Lita did ask him curiously what he was drawing at one   
point, stating that it looked like a fort. However, he loudly   
told her to mind her own business and that he could not divulge   
such confidential information under any circumstances. Serena   
smiled in amusement. Despite the fact that he was nearly eleven   
years old now, she felt such a strong connection with him. She   
mainly talked with Amara and Mina. Although Mina did not talk   
she appeared to be mostly listening though looking at Hotaru   
the whole time. Hotaru remained silent, glancing around the   
room occasionally in awe, but mainly staring back at   
Mina's sparkling blue eyes. Trista and Michelle were also   
conversing about something that none of them really understood.   
Amara said she knew a little about it since she had heard them   
talk about it often, but she assured them it was too   
complicated for even her mind to understand. Besides she was   
sure it was not worth hearing about. Michelle playfully nudged   
her elbow, glaring at her in a teasing manner when she said   
that. Amy remained completely absorbed in the book she was   
reading.   
  
To Be Continued... 


	2. Look Beyond

Please be careful and do not read the rest of this fanfic if you  
are not in a place to read about child abuse scenes.  
  
Chapter One, Look Beyond:  
  
Everyone told her what to do and how to do it. She was so   
tired of doing what everyone else wanted. *I may only be eight years   
old, but I have a mind of my own. I am not going to sit around   
like some lost puppy and do whatever people tell me to do whenever   
and however they tell me to do dangit,* she thought in frustration.   
She ran and ran and ran from the palace. *I hate everything about   
this life. I hate being a princess,* she thought vehemently,   
trying to run from this life but knowing it was pointless. If only   
she could get away from it long enough to enjoy some scenery. At   
least that way she could clear her mind and exist only in her own   
world that she created. A world where princesses were not dogs   
obeying every whim of the royalty, and a world where princesses did   
not have to act so stuck up, prim, and proper all the time. She   
wanted to run free. She wanted to exist as she was meant to exist.   
She wanted to be herself. She sat down in the grass, gazing at all   
the greenness. The grass, the pine trees, and the leaves of the   
other trees. Then there was the brown dirt and the blue stream. She   
buried her hands in the dirt, relishing the feeling of the dirt in   
her hands. *So natural, so real, and so right.* She wanted to be   
dirt. She wanted to feel natural, real, and right. Alas she was   
stuck going to balls, taking dance lessons and manner lessons,   
eating properly, dressing properly, and generally being a mindless   
drone that followed every whim of the royalty she met and of her   
parents. Especially her father. Oh yes, her father had the upper   
hand as do so many of the Kings over their wives. *It is not right.   
My mother lives in her own world like me,* but that was where the   
similarity between the two stopped. *Mother obeys father's every   
wish.* Her mother was subservient to him. She would never be   
subservient to any man she vowed. *I will be strong and proud. I   
will be my own person and forget anyone who cannot accept me that   
way,* she thought angrily. She brushed her long brown hair back.   
She hated how it was always falling in her face. She may be the   
Princess of Jupiter, but for today all she wanted was to enjoy the   
feel of the dirt. *Dang hair,* she thought angrily. She stood up in   
anger and began kicking the tree. She kicked it hard, over and over.   
She kept kicking the tree viciously until her face was red. She was   
sweating profusely, and her body and mind felt tired. Drained of   
the anger and simply exhausted now, she fell down to the ground and   
lay down only to fall asleep in the wilderness. Lita was physically   
aggressive and strong, but no princess was admired for being strong   
or even meant to be strong.  
  
*They were all interesting,* she mused. She related to the   
personal, far-off world Trista, Hotaru, and Lita all seemed to   
live in all alone. All alone, like her. Mina, Serena, Michelle, and   
Darien were all quiet like her. Amara and Raye were the ones she   
least related to although even Amara could be kind and quiet, so   
Raye was the most puzzling to her. She put down the book she had   
been reading. Reading was Princess Amy's only escape from this   
world. It was not so much that she did not enjoy being a princess.   
Well, actually, she did not. She did not mind the manners, but the   
public appearances were torture. She certainly did not enjoy all   
the fakeness. She may have seemed quiet, but she had loud opinions   
yelling in her mind. The thoughts in her mind were like voices,   
constantly questioning everything, looking at something from a new   
angle, analyzing details, and observing people. They could be so   
useful, but even she needed a break from those constant thoughts.   
Books provided that. It did not matter if they were fiction or   
non-fiction. Both types interested her and drew her in. Both types   
served their purpose. They both stopped the thoughts and got her  
out of this fake existence. Then sometimes the thoughts were worse.   
Sometimes they were echoing in her head, telling her over and over   
how useless and worthless she was. Pounding her down into the   
ground. They were just words she reminded herself, but words have   
a great deal of power over people. More than most people would   
admit. She was only seven after all, though she would be eight soon,   
and she could only believe that all the horrible things her father   
said about her and to her were true. Her mother was much more   
friendly and creative. She wanted to be like her mother when she   
grew up. *Wait, no I do not. I do not want to be married to a   
monster like him,* she thought, detesting that thought. Her   
thoughts were going to run wild again, so she opened up a new book.   
She did not exist here. She only existed in the world created in   
this book. Everything was fine in this other world because none of   
it was happening to her, but she was there all the same and safe   
from the cold, harsh reality of the princess life.  
  
Others had a different form of escape from the harsh, cold   
reality of the princess life. The teenage girl threw her long,   
green hair in a bun. Her pain filled, crimson eyes looked at her in   
the mirror. *So, this is what I look like? So, this is who I am?*   
she thought absently. Well, perhaps not absently. Nothing Princess   
Trista ever did was very absent. It was all well thought out and   
executed according to plan. Then again, there was one thing that   
did not fit into her plans. *But no, I do not want to think about   
that,* she thought, tears nearly forming in her tired, old eyes.   
She banished the dark thought quickly from her mind. Trista escaped   
reality too. How could she like being a princess after what she had   
been through? She stood tall, practicing walking correctly. She   
already knew how to. It was just something to distract her mind.   
Trista's real way of escaping existed in her mind though. She had   
created a whole different world in her mind. Similar to Amy needing   
constant new worlds to escape to her in books, Trista needed to   
escape to this world in her mind. Unlike Amy though, she never went   
to different worlds though. It was always this one, same world she   
had created. Sometimes she added something. The world was large by   
now since she had begun creating it when she was only four or five   
years old. The vastness of this world in her mind also allowed this   
world to be full of a variety of places. There were the quiet   
fields, the tranquil beaches, the secluded forests, and then there   
were the parks. There was much more. After all, ten years was a   
long time to develop something. Some of the places were deserted.   
Some of the places had all kinds of animals. Never a person though.   
There was never a person there, except her of course. Trista did   
not really like people. People could hurt and dominate you. Animals   
accepted you the way you are, and animals would never purposely   
hurt you. At least not the animals in her world. Trista liked her   
world because it was an escape, but she also liked it because it   
was the one thing in her life she could control. There was nothing   
else in her chaotic life that was even remotely within her control.   
She was under everyone else's control, especially her parents. If   
nothing else, she wanted to be in control. She craved control, and   
her world gave that to her. People could touch her, but they could   
never touch her world because it existed in her mind under her   
power. Trista sat down on her bed and off she went in her mind to   
an exotic place in her world. She smiled in contentment. *No one   
can touch me here,* she knew.  
  
She held her small, bony hands out in front of her. If   
Trista had created a new world to escape to (and she had), then   
this small girl lived in another world. She was rarely ever aware   
of where she really was. And it was better that way. She may only   
be a thin, frail five year old girl with choppy black hair and   
flinty black eyes and the name of Princess Hotaru, but she had   
known far too much loneliness and far too much pain in her life.   
She sat on the cold, dirty ground out in the woods all alone as   
was often the case. Alone was all Hotaru knew. Alone with her   
sadness. Alone with her loneliness. Alone with her fear. Alone with   
her pain. Alone with her confusion. She was much too young to   
understand why her parents did not notice her, did not stay with   
her much, and left her out here to be by herself at an age no child   
should be left alone. She was much too young to know that it was   
not her that drove her parents away from their child. She was much   
too young to know that she was not the one at fault in this   
situation. So she cried silently to herself. Her tears were silent   
drops of water attesting to her pain. She lay down on the ground   
to sleep. She would have slept in her bed in the palace if she   
could have found the palace, but as often happened she had gotten   
lost out alone in these woods. She knew no one would come to look   
for her for a long time. It would be quite awhile before anyone   
probably even noticed she was missing. Even when she was there she   
had learned to be neither seen, nor heard. She was invisible even   
when she was in a room. So how would people notice that an   
invisible person was gone? She put her hands underneath her dirty,   
ratty dark black hair and closed her tired, puffy red eyelids.   
*Where is mommy? Where is daddy? Why do they not want me?* she   
wondered silently in deep sadness.  
  
The black hair swept around the eyes of the lone figure in   
the dark. The dark figure blended in easily with the night,   
standing at the edge of the cold, tumultuous dark blue ocean shore.   
The thoughts were always flitting so quickly through his mind that   
he could barely stop and think about them. The ocean always calmed   
his thoughts. He was not supposed to be here. He was supposed to be   
at dinner with his parents. Yes, he would be in trouble again, but   
he really did not care. To everyone else, including his parents, he   
seemed apathetic and cold. However, that was all just a mask he put   
on for the world. Inside he hurt. He ached for something more. He   
had never asked to be a prince, and he had never liked it. There   
were so many reasons he did not want to be one. For one thing he   
liked the training his guards got to do. He would much rather fight   
with a sword to defend his honor and protect others than sit around   
in a palace all day learning the proper conversational skills. That   
was only a small piece of the larger puzzle however; his main   
reason was hidden deep in the depths of his soul. His main reason   
was a reason he did not even understand or know. All he knew was   
that it was not right. Everything about this life just felt wrong,   
and despite the façade he put up to deceive others into thinking he   
was apathetic and cold, he was really very emotional and felt   
things deeply inside. His heart ached all his life, and the only   
thing that could soothe his aching heart and racing mind was the   
lapping of the waves on the shore. He liked to look at the angry,   
tumultuous waves. They reminded him of his angry, tumultuous soul.   
In the end though the waves always died down and lapped gently onto   
the dark grey sand of the beach. That was what he wanted. That was   
what he ached for. Something to calm his soul enough that his soul   
would gently lap onto the shore as well. *What is there in this   
world that gives life a purpose? Why do I exist? Why does anyone   
exist?* he thought, pondering existence and the meaning of life. For   
all his apparent apathy and aggressiveness, he was really a   
thoughtful, deep person underneath it all. Of course no one bothered   
to look beyond his façade. *No, no one ever does,* he thought   
bitterly. The dark brown horse with a long black tail began to stomp   
around, impatient for its rider to get back on him and ride him back   
to the palace. Prince Darien sighed. "All right," he said to the   
horse. "I suppose I must return now."  
  
She stared out her window, a blank expression on her gentle   
face with those blue eyes and long, shiny blonde hair. The shame   
that surrounded her was deep and painful. She knew the others   
thought she was strange. Serena was the only one who seemed to   
understand her at all. Then again there was Hotaru. She had that   
look in her eyes. *No, she has not been through the same thing I   
have, but she has certainly felt as lost and completely alone as I   
have,* the eight year old girl thought silently. Then there was   
Amara. Yes, Amara was kind. So was Michelle really. The rest scared   
her. Well, except for Trista and Amy. She was not sure what to think   
about them. They kept to themselves. She liked that. She was only   
eight years old, but then again she was only a year old when it all   
began. She may have been eight years old, but her soul was much   
older. Was it not that way for so many of them though? No, she did   
not like being a princess. Being a beauty and being a princess on   
top of that was an especially horrible combination. No one could   
understand that. No one else could possibly understand how   
devastating a combination that was. People were angry at you. The   
women wanted to be you. Even the ones who managed to be polite to   
her had that jealousy seething underneath. She was perceptive. She   
could feel it. She closed her aching eyes briefly. No, it was not   
really her eyes that ached. It was her whole body. It had been   
used so much that she did not feel like it was even hers. It was   
his. His to use, and his to do with as he pleased. She was there   
for one reason and one reason only-to please him. At least that   
was what he had taught her. She did not even exist. She was   
merely a shell of a body there for his sick pleasure, and she   
would never know what it meant to be normal. She would never   
know what it meant to be healthy or happy. No, she did not like   
being a princess because it made the women jealous, and it did   
things to the men she never meant to do. Yet it must be her fault.   
They all said it was after all. They could not be wrong. She was   
wrong. She put her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the   
sounds in her mind that were overwhelming her. The reminders   
screaming in her head, but then her whole body was feeling it. She   
could not take it anymore. She hid in the back of a closet after   
closing the closet door, and she curled up into a small ball. She   
was silent and made no noise. They could not find her this way. She   
could not be bad this way. Maybe this way she could be alone and   
safe. *Bad Mina. Bad Mina,* the princess repeated to herself in her   
mind, knowing only too well how true it was and feeling such shame   
she bowed her head and kept her mouth silent as always.  
  
Another blonde haired girl stood at her window looking out   
of it. Her mouth was pursed closed as she thought silently to   
herself. Footsteps sounded down the hall. *Please, please do not   
let that be mother,* she thought fervently. She did not want to   
deal with that woman right now. Everything about that woman grated   
on her last nerve. Everything about that woman got under skin. She   
could not stand the way she spoke, the way she acted, or even the   
way she thought. *If she even does think,* the girl thought   
mockingly. Yes, to this girl her mother was pathetic, and she   
vowed never to end up like her. She would not be so dumb, so   
self-centered, so materialistic, and so annoying. Her mother was   
all about looks, all about appearances, and all about talk. There   
was nothing beyond that talk though, nothing beyond her façade.   
*No,* Princess Amara thought to herself. *I will never put up   
fronts. I will be myself always and people can like me or hate me   
for that. I truly do not care.* Similar to Darien, she often   
appeared apathetic to others. However, unlike Darien, she was not   
trying to appear apathetic. She truly did not care about others'   
opinions or thoughts. She would be true to herself that was all   
that mattered. She was only eleven years old, but she had already   
made this decision and followed through with it. Perhaps the fact   
that it was not a façade should have been obvious to others. After   
all, Darien appeared so completely cold, harsh, and cut off from   
the world. Amara, conversely, only appeared apathetic about   
certain things and certain people. There were people that meant a   
lot to her, and there were things that mattered to her very much.   
Her father was one. She looked up to her father in admiration. He   
appeared strange and cold to everyone else, but Amara saw beyond   
that. She knew he was truly gentle and intelligent and strong.   
She wanted to be like him. She wanted to be strong. She trained   
secretly because after all it was not proper for even a prince to   
be training with weapons much, and it was not proper for a   
princess to at all. She did not care much for conventions   
though-that was her mother's department. She hated being a   
princess. She wanted to be what her father had been before he had   
stupidly married her good for nothing mother. She wanted to be a   
top guard to a prince or princess. She wanted to swing a sword.   
She could run and fight with the best of any man. Although of   
course, no one knew that. Not even Amara herself. How could she?   
She could never give away that she was secretly training. She   
hated this life. It was like forcing on an ugly dress that did   
not fit onto your body and wearing it every day of your life. She   
wanted out of this so desperately.   
  
The music flowed through the room, creating a peaceful   
and soothing atmosphere that calmed down the distraught princess.   
She lay down on her comfortable bed in despair as her long blonde   
hair that was out of its usual buns was lying out in a pool of   
gold on her bed. Nothing with this life was right. She did not   
belong here. She had friends and a wonderful mother, that was   
true. Still, she did not ever feel right inside. Perhaps it was   
the exhausting hours, perhaps it was the demand to smile and   
curtsey and be sickeningly sweet constantly, or perhaps it was   
the pressure of all her duties and of having the spotlight   
constantly on you. However, something in her heart said it was   
even deeper than that. This life was not right. She did not want   
to be a princess, but more than that, she was not meant to be a   
princess. She sighed sadly. Her heart and soul ached. Some part   
of it always missing. She opened her light blue eyes and slowly   
got up to close the music box her mother had gotten her a long   
time ago. She hugged a big white teddy bear close. Her mother   
had told her that her father got it for her 3rd birthday. *Why   
did you have to take him from me?* she thought in her mind,   
beginning to sob uncontrollably. *I want my father. Do you hear?   
It is not fair,* she thought in misery. Tears flowed from her   
eyes, and she curled up, crying for hours until she became so   
tired she fell asleep. The night was restless however, and   
Princess Serena woke up soon after falling asleep. She paced   
around her room, holding the teddy bear close. He was with her   
always. She knew that, but still the pang of the loss ripped   
through her heart and soul. She stared blankly at her wall.   
*Could anyone understand this loss?* she wondered. Would she   
always be alone with this? She sighed. Why was she a princess?   
The trappings of this life were not for her at all.  
  
She picked up her paintbrush and began to brush it over   
the painting she had just begun. Her mother was talented like   
this. Her mother was talented and creative and intelligent. *No   
one would ever know it though,* Princess Michelle though   
bitterly as she brushed back a strand of her wavy hair. She   
crossed her already long legs. *She threw it all away. She   
could have had a wonderful, bright future, and she threw it all   
away for him. What was wrong with her?* She made angry, quick   
strokes with the brush to get out all her bitterness and anger.   
Not that she honestly could get all of it out or even most of   
it. Her father made her want to puke. He was such a   
traditionalist. *As though royalty is not traditional enough as   
it is. It figures that on top of that I am stuck with a father   
that is considered a traditionalist even among the traditional   
royalty figures. How is that for irony?* Her mother was not a   
traditionalist. At least she was not underneath her façade.   
Michelle knew that, but she also knew that her mother would   
never do anything to displease her good for nothing   
traditionalist husband. *Traditionalist? Ha, I can think of a   
few much less pleasant words to describe him,* she thought   
irately. She would never end up like either of them she vowed.   
She would never be a traditionalist following every convention   
in this world where the royalty dictated what society thought,   
and society dictated what each person thought and did. She would   
not give into being a follower. She would lead her own way, and   
she would not look back. *No man will ever tie me down,* she   
vowed. Some days she felt more hatred for her mother than her   
father. After all, she was more intelligent and talented, yet   
she threw all that away just to follow society and please a   
stupid, conventional male that could not even think for himself.   
She had nothing against men. They were attractive enough she   
supposed, but she would never put one before herself or before   
her dreams. She would be herself, and he could either accept it   
or leave. That did not matter to her. She had enough strength in   
herself to get through alone. *Then again I will never be   
alone,* she thought, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. Even   
at eleven she knew her best friend, Amara, would always be there   
for her through everything. Her paintbrush strokes became calm   
and soothing, creative and abstract. She was inspired. *Does she   
think about me nearly as much?* Michelle wondered. She longed to   
see her friend again and longed to feel her friend's comforting   
touch on her hand again.  
  
She showed no emotion on her face as her father whipped   
her again and again. She did not cry. She had lost tears a long   
time ago. She did not scream. Screams had been beat out of her a   
long time ago. She did not beg. She knew there was no use. She   
vacillated between hatred of her parents and hatred of herself   
as he finished. Her mother ordered her to stand in front of them   
both. She stood up straight so as not to disappoint them. Her   
mother slapped her across the face, hard. She grabbed the girl's   
long black hair and pulled on it hard. "You are a worthless   
little winch," she said coldly. "Get out of my sight, or next   
time I will tell your father to hit you so hard you will not be   
able to move for a week." Princess Raye stood, her eyes   
expressionless but cold and hard like her mother's eyes, and she   
left the room. She was respectful and did the correct thing she   
was told to do as fast and well as she possibly could. Raye was   
a perfectionist. She had to be. If she did not do everything   
perfectly, she would pay. And when her parents taught her a   
lesson, it was hard and hurtful. Raye was cold, but who could   
blame her? She had to be cold and emotionless to get through   
those beatings and verbal bashes. She would never amount to   
anything in their eyes, and sometimes she hated them for it.   
Mostly though the fire inside her burned with intense hatred for   
herself. She would always try harder and harder to do things   
just right. *Maybe someday they will tell me I did something   
well, or at least be able to tolerate me,* she told herself. She   
told herself this over and over just to get through the days and   
nights of torment, but inside Raye was slowly losing any hope   
she may have had left. There was probably never another nine   
year old full of so much despair and strength and so little   
hope. If there was, she had never met that being. She felt all   
alone, and she cursed her existence. She cursed being a   
princess, and she cursed being alive. *Someday,* she thought to   
herself. *Someday this will all be over.* That was her only   
comfort in her tormented, cold existence.   
  
  
To Be Continued... 


	3. Discoveries

Chapter Two, Discoveries:  
  
Two large men held her down. She grunted and struggled   
angrily, blushing from the embarrassment and the anger she felt   
at the situation. "I hate doing this," her father said shortly.  
  
"Well, she will not listen. She Never listens," her   
mother said in exasperation. "Do you want her to go to the   
meeting in pants?"  
  
"No, but surely we could talk some sense into her. No   
reasonable young princess wants to wear anything other than a   
dress. She is obviously simply going through a rebellious   
stage."  
  
Queen Anita sighed. "Fine. You deal with her," she   
said, her exasperation mounting as she left the room.  
  
"Amara," King Alan said hesitantly.  
  
"What?" she asked sharply.  
  
"Will you please just put on the dress, so I can call   
the guards off?"  
  
Princess Amara sighed. "Fine."  
  
"What are you wearing??" Luna asked, her mouth gaping   
open.   
  
"What?" Princess Serena asked naively.  
  
"That dress reveals way too much, especially for your   
age. Serena I swear. Watching over you is the most impossible   
task."  
  
Serena sighed and looked out the window at the planet   
Earth. *He is the only reason I keep doing this dreadful   
princess stuff,* she thought.  
  
She sat outside alone. She knew the meeting was going   
to happen soon. They would have to come looking for her then.   
She would most certainly be in trouble for wandering off again,   
but she just wanted them to notice she was missing for once.   
  
And they did.  
  
She heard the noise a few hours later. Her head shot up   
in surprise, and she snapped out of her daze. *Finally.* The   
guards came running up to her. "Come on princess. Hurry. The   
King and Queen are very upset with your disappearance, and they   
sent us to bring you home as quickly as possible."  
  
Hotaru sighed. They had not even come this time. They   
had simply sent guards. *Disappearance? They have not seen me   
all week. Of course they only notice when they need me for   
something,* she thought bitterly as she silently followed the   
guards. *I hate life.*  
  
She sat outside alone. She was cold, but she did not   
care. She was always cold. It did not matter. She was used to   
it. Her long dark black hair blew around her face. She knew she   
had to go get ready for the princess annual meeting in a few   
moments. Still, she stalled as long as she possibly could. *Why   
do I even bother?* she asked herself apathetically. She knew   
why-the consequences were too severe if she did not. Princess   
Raye stood up slowly and went inside to get ready.  
  
She sat outside alone. She was cold, but she was in a   
too much of a trance to notice. If someone had passed by they   
would have surely thought she was in some kind of catatonic   
state. As fate or destiny or whatever the hell you believe in   
would have it, someone or rather something did pass by. "Are   
you alone too?" the male voice asked.  
  
She jumped up in fear. *Please no, not again,* her   
mind flew into a panic. "No," she gasped in fear, barely able   
to breathe.  
  
"Oh all right then. No need to have a heart attack   
about it," and she looked down at the white cat.   
  
Her panic slowed down, but her confusion mounted.   
"You...you can talk."  
  
"Yes," the cat answered simply.  
  
"I know another cat who can talk," the girl said   
cautiously. "Can all of you talk?"  
  
"No," he answered simply. "Another cat? Hmm..." he   
mused. "I thought I was the only one. Well, no matter. My name   
is Artemis. What is yours?"  
  
"Mina," she said quietly.  
  
"Well Mina, nice to meet you. Tell me please, why are   
you so frightened and alone?"  
  
She looked away, trying to keep the tear from slipping   
out of her eye. "I...I..." she stopped, unable to go any   
further.  
  
He nodded. "You will never have to be alone or scared   
again," he said, jumping onto her lap. "I will protect you."  
She looked at him and began to pet him. He purred, and   
she smiled some in comfort.   
  
Combing her hair, she looked at her reflection in the   
mirror. Another day to dress up. Another day to make herself   
look perfect. At first, she hated having to look so perfect   
all the time. Her parents expected nothing but the best from   
her, especially her mother. She was always striving to be   
better, but she was never good enough. She studied her face   
carefully in the mirror. Yes, it was taxing to look perfect all   
the time, but she had begun to need that control; she had begun   
to crave that stability. If nothing else was right, her   
appearance at least would always be perfect, she assured   
herself. This time she had even more motivation. She would be   
seeing her princess friends. Princess Michelle put a beautiful   
dark pink flower in her wavy sea blue hair and smiled at her   
reflection in the mirror. *My teeth seem a little less white   
today,* she thought in irritation, trying to touch them up as   
perfectly as possible.  
  
Michelle was not the only one looking in the mirror.   
Princess Lita looked at herself in the mirror with disgust and   
anger. She punched the mirror hard, and she gasped in pain and   
shock as she felt and saw the breaking glass from the mirror.   
*Uh oh,* she thought. *I am going to be in so much trouble.   
Quick,* she thought desperately, looking at the broken glass   
strewn everywhere and the red blood seeping through the cuts on   
her hand. *How am I going to hide this?* she wondered   
anxiously. She heard the doorknob to her bedchamber's  
door turn. Her father's head poked through. *I am in trouble...*   
  
"Princess Amy, it is time to go to the ball," her father   
called up loudly. Her maids had already dressed her earlier.   
She had asked for some time alone to continue reading the book   
she was so actively engrossed in, but she had ended up spending   
that small amount of alone time quite differently. "Amy, now!"   
her mother yelled up. She stood up shakily and wiped the tears   
off her face. She looked in the mirror. *The red blotches are  
already fading away.* She tried to stall another minute so   
they would be gone. "AMY!" her father yelled loudly. She   
started and rushed down the stairs, but halfway there she   
slowed down. *Ladies do not rush,* she reminded herself calmly.  
  
As usual Prince Darien was nowhere to be found, and his   
parents were getting fed up. "We cannot allow this to   
continue," King Damion said angrily to his wife.  
  
"I know. I know," Queen Darla said.  
  
"No, I mean it. This has gone on long enough. He is 12   
years old for god's sake."  
  
"Darling try to calm down. You know how your blood   
pressure can get..." Darla said, conciliatory.  
  
Damion shouted. "Calm down?? Calm down?? He pulls these   
stunts EVERY single time. I am so sick of it. This stops now."  
  
Queen Darla nodded. "You are right of course," she   
said in agreement. They could not have their son being so   
disrespectful and so different. She remembered how she had   
been as a child. Yes it had taken years to get that completely   
out of her system. He would have to be taught to fit in and   
obey no matter how hard that lesson was for him to learn.   
  
Meanwhile, on a planet much much farther away, a young   
princess was responding in quite the opposite way to her   
parents' demands. She always had been obedient and compliant   
though. She had learned at a young age that it was much easier   
and better to just obey and do what you were told by those   
older than you. Usually the punishment was less harsh and the   
anger died down more quickly. She sighed as she looked in the   
mirror at her shorter green hair. It was getting past her   
shoulders now. She missed the long, flowing silky green hair   
she had last year. She missed running her fingers through it to   
soothe her tormented soul, but she had cut it very short in a   
moment of intense self-hatred. The self-hatred was always   
there, but that was the first time it had gotten so intense. It   
was not the last however. The moments returned, each one   
feeling worse than the last. The only thing she could do was   
hurt herself. The hair had been first. That had not actually   
physically hurt her, but it had been the first step towards   
self-injury she realized. It had progressed as she became  
more and more obsessed with distracting herself from the inner   
torment by causing as much pain as she could possibly stand on   
the outside. Each time her tolerance for the outside pain got   
higher, and so she had to hurt herself more each time to get a   
good distraction from the inner pain. Like a drug addict   
needing more drugs to get to that same high each time, she had   
to cut deeper and harder each time to get the same relief from   
the inner pain. Princess Trista averted her eyes from her ugly   
short green hair. Her parents had not been happy about that.   
She had gotten her punishment though from both of them. One   
being far worse as always. She made her face as emotionless and   
distant as possible to hide the inner torment. She would not   
allow anyone to see her vulnerable.  
  
As always Princess Serena and Princess Mina got their   
time alone before the others arrived. Serena sat beside her   
friend, smiling at her comfortingly. Then she saw that Mina was   
clutching something tightly. She asked to see it, and Mina   
showed her a white cat. "Oh how adorable," Serena said softly   
as she began petting the cat. He purred loudly.   
  
"His name is Artemis," Mina said carefully.   
  
"You picked such a beautiful name," Serena said,   
complimenting her friend.  
  
"I did not pick it. He told it to me."  
  
Serena moved uncomfortably, but she tried not to show   
her feelings on her face. A very hard task for her indeed. She   
failed. "You think I am crazy?" Mina said, a bit angrily.  
  
Serena moved back in shock. Had Mina just gotten angry   
at her? Her mouth moved, trying to get some words out but   
nothing was coming out.   
  
Mina swiftly apologized, tears coming to her fearful   
eyes.  
  
Serena put her hands on Mina's shoulder, her eyes   
shining with compassion. "Do not be scared of me Mina. I am so   
proud of you. You can be yourself with me. You can always show   
your feelings. It is all right to get angry all right?"  
  
Mina shook her head mutely.   
  
Serena sighed sadly. *One step forward, two steps back.*   
"Mina, you do know though that Luna is unique? She was human   
once. That is why she can talk."  
  
"I was human once too," Artemis said, stepping onto the   
ground.  
  
Serena's mouth opened in shock.  
  
"See," Mina said quietly.  
  
Serena nodded. "I am sorry. I should have believed you   
Mina."  
  
"It is all right. I did not expect you to. No one does."  
  
Serena looked at her friend. "What do you mean?" she   
asked, sensing something wrong.  
  
As life would have it, Mina would not be freed of her   
burden yet. Princess Amy walked into the room quietly, and   
Princess Mina shut her mouth firmly. Princess Serena looked at   
her in deep concern but got up to greet the new arrival.   
  
"Hello Princess Amy. So nice to see you again. You have   
your ninth birthday coming up do you not?"  
  
Princess Amy nodded politely. "Yes," she said quietly.  
  
"You have been crying?" Mina ventured shyly. Encouraged   
by the girl's soft, quiet voice.  
  
Amy looked at her in surprise. "Oh, umm...well," she   
said hesitantly.  
  
"It is all right," Serena said softly. "Tell us about   
it," and they sat down. Amy proceeded to tell them how lonely   
she felt, and how much she hated the demands of being a princess.   
They nodded in understanding. For they both knew the loneliness   
and demanding pressure she spoke of from their own experiences.   
  
Amy smiled. "Thank you," she said in appreciation.  
  
"Anytime," Serena promised sincerely.  
  
At that very moment, Princess Trista walked in silently.   
Only Mina noticed her presence for the first few minutes, but she   
said nothing. When Amy noticed her, she got up and Serena joined   
her. "Hello," they each said to each other. "I think I need some   
time alone," Princess Trista said quietly as she walked off to a   
corner by herself. Amy sat down with Mina while Serena watched   
Trista in concern. *Her hair is much shorter,* Serena thought as she   
observed the quiet, deep girl.  
  
She did not have much time for her musings however as   
Princess Raye entered the room. She curtseyed in tradition.  
  
Mina backed behind Amy in fear. Amy gulped but tried to keep   
a straight face. Trista ignored her, lost in her own thoughts. Only  
Serena stood, unmoving, though fear showed clearly on her face.  
  
"You have a problem your highness?" Raye spit out harshly.  
  
"No, I think you are the one with the problem," Serena said   
honestly.  
  
"Shut up you bitch," Raye said. Mina clung onto Amy in fear.   
Amy gasped. Even Trista broke out of her thoughts in surprise.   
Serena's face was one of complete confusion. "What?? That too dirty   
of a word for you princess?"  
  
"I...I have never heard it," Serena said cautiously, looking   
around at everyone's astonished reactions. "What does it mean?" she   
ventured.   
  
"Damn you lead a sheltered life." Mina was shaking. Amy was   
beginning to too. Trista was trying to decide whether to intervene  
or not.   
  
Serena smiled, unaware of what Raye really meant. "Do you   
need someone to talk to? Mina and Amy and I were talking. You could   
join us. You must have a lot on your mind. We will listen and try to   
help."  
  
Raye's laugh was fake. "You would have no idea what I am   
going through," she said. Then she slapped Serena. Serena stood   
there in shock, never having been hit before. Raye smiled in   
satisfaction. Trista stood up, thinking this was going too far. Mina   
was shaking so hard that the astonished Amy had to hold her close.   
Artemis sat in Mina's lap to give her some warmth and comfort. Mina   
petted him shakily. Raye saw Trista out of the corner of her eye,   
and she walked to another corner of the room to be by herself. "Back   
off Pluto princess," she warned. Trista thought about it, standing   
there and weighing the pros and cons carefully. She was still   
undecided when Princess Michelle walked in, and she decided to   
leave the Princess of Mars alone. *As always she looks stunning and   
perfect,* Trista thought.  
  
"Well, hello Trista. Is Amara here yet?" she asked softly.  
  
"Not yet," Trista responded. "How are you doing Michelle?"  
  
Michelle paused. Only for a brief second of course, but   
Trista was observant and noticed though she did not point it   
out. "All right," she lied. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"All right," Trista readily lied from years of practice.   
Michelle was too absorbed in her own thoughts to notice anything   
wrong. She went to sit with Trista in a corner of the room. Serena   
sat down, still in shock. "Is she all right?" Michelle asked Trista   
curiously.  
  
"I think so. Princess Raye slapped her."  
  
"What?! I cannot believe that...maybe we should go sit with   
her."  
  
Trista nodded her head to Amy and Mina who had surrounded   
Serena with comfort and love. Michelle nodded. "I see your point."  
  
"She will be fine," Trista promised, knowing inside that no   
one was really ever the same after that first hit. Even if it was   
not an adult she figured.  
  
Princess Amara entered next, and Princess Michelle stood   
up quickly, attempting to cover the excitement on her face. "Hello   
Amara," she said softly. Then she noticed the scowl on her   
beautiful face. "Amara?" she asked softly.  
  
"I hate dresses," Amara said simply.  
  
"I am sorry..." Michelle said hesitantly.  
  
Trista moved slightly. "Would you like to sit with us?" she   
asked.   
  
"All right," Amara said. "What is wrong with her?" she   
asked, looking at Serena.  
  
"Raye slapped her," Michelle said softly.  
  
"Oh," Amara said. "Wow."  
  
"Yeah," Trista said.  
  
Michelle nodded in agreement. Amara was succinct. That wow   
could have had many meanings, but Michelle knew her best friend very   
well by now. She had known her well even when they first met though   
now that she thought about it. There was just that connection they   
had always mysteriously had. She knew exactly what Amara meant when   
she said wow, and she completely agreed. Trista was perceptive and   
also seemed to know Amara well enough to gather the probable   
meaning behind it Michelle concluded, looking at her friends with   
respect and love.  
  
It is hard to say who entered next. Well actually, it is   
not difficult. Prince Darien was the first to enter, but right   
behind him was Princess Lita. They looked around, both seemed   
nervous or guilty or both. Raye did not even raise her head. Trista,   
Michelle, and Amara noticed but said nothing. Serena saw Darien and   
blushed, frozen and unable to say or do anything. Mina as usual   
said and did nothing. So Amy stood up and said hello to each of   
them. When Serena snapped out of her daze, she walked right past   
Darien and said hello to Princess Lita. Princess Lita said hello   
back, keeping her hands behind her back the whole time. Serena   
wanted to comment, but at that moment Darien said something. "You   
did not say hello to me princess. Do you have some kind of problem   
with me?" he asked coldly. She shuddered. He was almost as bad as   
Raye. *Surely he would never hit me though,* she reasoned with   
herself.   
  
"Not at all," she said, trying to match his cold tone   
though only halfway successful. "Humph!" she exclaimed and turned   
around to walk back proudly to Mina. Mina smiled briefly, sensing   
something between them both despite the fronts they both put up,   
especially Darien. She said nothing though of course. Princess Lita   
was talking with Princess Amy, and Princess Serena joined them   
again. "Are your hands all right?" she asked Lita kindly.  
  
"Of course," Lita snapped.  
  
"I was just concerned..." Serena said, cautiously backing   
away.  
  
"I am sorry. I know. Thank you," Lita said.   
  
"If you want to talk we are here for you," Serena promised.  
  
Amy nodded her head in agreement. "Mina and Serena were very   
understanding about my problems. They listened and talked with me   
about my problems. It does help more than you might think," she   
said.  
  
Lita grunted. "Perhaps someday," she said hesitantly. "Why   
is no one sitting with Raye? Now there is someone who needs someone   
to talk to."  
  
"I tried..." Serena said.  
  
"Well try harder," Lita said, her voice getting loud with   
passion. "She NEEDS someone," she whispered angrily.  
  
"She slapped Serena," Amy said.  
  
"She what?" There was an uncomfortable silence. "Oh," Lita   
finally said. "Still...I am sure she is sorry. Right Raye?" she asked   
louder.  
  
"Right what?" Raye yelled back.  
  
"You did not mean to hit Serena right?" Lita yelled.  
  
"Yes I did," Raye screamed back strongly.  
  
"See," Amy pointed out.   
  
Lita sighed. "She is just too proud to admit it. Believe me.   
She never meant to do that to you. I know her," Lita said with   
conviction.  
  
Serena nodded. "I believe you."  
  
"What? Are you kidding?" Amy asked in horror.  
  
Serena shook her head. "She must be so lost. She must feel   
so alone. Could you tell her we would like her to join our group and   
that we would like to talk with her?" Serena asked. Lita nodded and   
walked over to Raye just as Darien sighed and walked over to Mina   
who cowered. He sighed again and walked over to Trista, Michelle,   
and Amara. They nodded in acknowledgment but said nothing. He sat   
down silently as Princess Hotaru quietly entered the room.   
  
No one noticed her for several minutes. When Michelle did   
notice her, she turned to Trista and Amara. "She has this habit of   
staying in the shadows, and she is so quiet. Quieter even than any   
of us. I wonder how she learned that," Michelle mused. "She must be   
alone a lot."  
  
Amara and Trista nodded in agreement. Michelle stood up to   
go ask Hotaru to sit with them, but she slowly sat down by Mina. The   
two of them still seemed to have that connection. Mina put Artemis   
in Hotaru's lap. She petted Artemis and smiled some in amazement. She  
had never gotten to pet a cat. Serena smiled and after glaring at   
Darien, sat down with them and Amy.   
  
It would be another year before the whole group saw one   
another again, but quite a lot would take place in that year.   
Some of the princesses would see others once or even more often than   
that before the next annual meeting. A strange split would occur in   
the group as the result of an innocent request Serena would make to   
her mother Serenity that evening.  
  
"Can I see Mina, Amy, and Lita again soon?" she asked. "We   
are getting sort of close," she added.  
  
Serenity looked at her daughter lovingly. "Yes of course,"   
she said.  
  
She saw the red mark on her daughter's face. "What   
happened?" she asked gently.  
  
"Oh, it is nothing," Serena said.  
  
"Serena, it is important," Serenity said seriously. "Please   
tell me."  
  
"Well, Raye...she just has kind of a temper that is all,"   
Serena ventured cautiously.  
  
"Oh darling, I am sorry. Are you all right?"  
  
Serena nodded vigorously. Serenity giggled a bit. "All   
right. All right. I get the point. Let me make you a deal. You can   
see the others, but I would like to invite Raye to the meeting too.   
Is that going to be all right with you?"  
  
Serena thought about it for a minute. "All right," she said.   
"I do not want to leave her out, but she hates us all."  
  
"Oh I very much doubt that," Serenity said wisely. "Ten   
year olds do not hate. They may think they hate, but it is just to   
mask how lost and scared and alone she must be feeling."  
  
Serena's eyes filled with tears. "Do you think she is all   
right?"  
  
"I do not know," Serenity said honestly. "Her mother is not   
a good person, and her father." Serenity shuddered. "He is really a  
very bad person," she said after a silence. Serena began to cry. "Oh   
hush precious. It is all right," her mother soothed her, holding her  
close. "We will be here for her. How does that sound?" Serena nodded.   
"Good. Now can you try to sleep precious?" Serenity asked gently.   
Serena nodded again, and Serenity left. However, Serena did not sleep   
well at all that night.  
  
She ran like the wind. The wind-little did she know it was   
her element. However, she was on the verge of discovering this. She   
ran faster and faster. She would never fit in, never belong anywhere.   
Tears stung her face. She wiped them away angrily, her heart  
pounding in her chest. The pain inside it growing bigger and bigger   
with each passing day. *NO!* she screamed inside, running faster and  
faster to try to block out the pain. The faster she ran the more she   
could feel the pain sweeping out behind her with the wind. She was   
free. The only moment she was free was when she was running, alone   
and running. Well there was one other moment when she was free. *No,   
I can't think about that,* she promised herself as she angrily pushed   
the "abnormal" thought out of her head. When she finally collapsed in   
exhaustion, gasping for breath, she thought of all her pain. She   
thought of society's demands and pressures, but most of all she   
thought about all the forbidden things for her as both a princess   
and a girl. She got angry. *How dare they tell me what is normal?   
How dare they dictate my life for me?* She wanted to punch   
something, kick something, scream angrily, but somehow none of that   
seemed satisfying enough. She screamed and a large golden power shot   
out of her. She froze in surprise, staring at the trees she had   
demolished and the land she had destroyed. *This could be what I   
needed,* she thought, her thoughts spinning out of control as a   
smile slowly appeared on her face.  
  
*Would it always be this way?* she wondered tiredly. She was   
tired, exhausted actually. Exhausted of life. Exhausted of being a   
princess. Tired of living up to the impossible expectations of   
everyone around her. There was only one person in this world that   
she could truly be herself with, but even that would never be   
allowed. She wanted to banish the thought from her head as she   
usually did, but the deep eyes and short, tomboyish blonde hair was   
imprinted in her soul and would no longer leave her mind either.   
She sighed. *Why could I not just find a nice prince and fall in   
love with him?* she asked herself in exasperation. Her only goal   
now was to find a tolerable prince, live up to everyone's   
expectations, and never ever show Amara her true feelings. She was   
not sure which part would be the hardest. She closed her eyes out by   
the stream and let the frustration build up, the pain. Then suddenly   
she felt this surge of power and heard the loud noise of water   
crashing into everything. She opened her eyes, knowing the stream   
was the only source of water nearby. She was unleashing the water   
from the sheer will of her mind. A power-her power. She smiled   
briefly, feeling some relief.   
  
  
Tossing and turning in her bed, her first vision came to   
her. A woman shrouded in the mists. She was only a dark figure in   
the princess' mind, but she could tell somehow that it was a woman.   
Perhaps by the slightly feminine tone to the old, wise voice. The   
place she was in was grey with all the mist, and in the distance   
she could make out some brownish grayish colors. She shook her head   
in confusion, looking back to the place where the lady had been.   
She was no longer there. "Behind you," the voice said, echoing   
through the mysterious place. The princess turned around in   
surprise. And there she was, much closer, but still very blurred   
and hard to see. Her face was only slightly visible. She noticed   
the woman had a fairly large nose. "You have a duty here princess,"   
the woman said, disappearing as the princess woke up from the dream.   
Although she was not yet aware that it was a vision.   
  
They were all ten years old for this meeting. It had taken   
quite a lot of persuasion by Queen Serenity as well as Queen Miriam   
and King Michael once they were convinced, to convince the Kings   
and Queens of Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars to agree to this meeting   
among their daughters. Somehow they managed to convince the royalty   
of those planets that it would be in the best interests of all the   
princesses to learn from one another on manners and such. Of course,   
they were not really learning anything of the sort. They were   
getting a few moments of precious freedom and forming long-lasting   
friendships with people who could understand what one another was   
going through. Even Queen Serenity herself though could never have   
imagined how strong and close these friendships would one day become.   
  
Mina and Serena were sitting calmly in the field as Princess   
Raye and Princess Amy approached them. Princess Amy was lagging   
behind Princess Raye, obviously on purpose. Princess Raye looked back   
at her and laughed. "Coward."  
  
Serena and Mina said nothing, not wanting to tempt her into   
more violence or verbal slaughter as she sat down by herself near   
some trees. When Amy approached them she sat down calmly, tears in   
her eyes. Serena put her arms around her in a giant hug, and Amy   
smiled warmly. "Thank you Serena. You are such a wonderful friend. As   
are you Mina," she said, hugging the girl gently. Mina hugged her   
back thankfully, and the three of them began conversing like old   
friends. The bond among them all growing stronger already.  
  
Princess Lita came several minutes later. She looked at   
them all apologetically. "Sorry for being late," she said.  
  
"No need to be sorry," Serena said, approaching her   
cheerfully. "So glad to see you."  
  
Lita nodded. "Thank you."  
  
She looked over at Raye and sighed. "You three need to stop   
leaving her out."  
  
"I do not know how to get her to join without angering her,"   
Serena explained.  
  
"Besides we are scared of her," Amy admitted. Mina nodded her   
head silently in agreement.  
  
"There is really no need to be. It is all a front. I promise.   
I should know."   
  
Serena looked at Lita sympathetically. "If you could get her   
over here that would be great. We are here for both of you."  
  
Lita nodded. "I will try my best," she promised.  
  
She approached Raye. Lita spoke for only a minute before Raye   
jumped up. "I cannot believe you betrayed me and went to their side,"   
she yelled angrily. "Well fine, go sip tea with them. I have more   
important things to do you wimp!"  
  
Lita's fists clenched at her side. "It is only because I like   
you so much that I am not beating you up right now," she said through  
clenched teeth. "But do not ever call me a wimp again."  
  
"What are you going to do about it? Swing those weak, floppy   
arms of yours at me? I could take you on in a heartbeat," she said   
angrily.  
  
Lita's eyes flashed as Raye ran off to be by herself. Lita   
was turning all shades of red, trying very hard not to run after her   
and punch her like she wanted to so badly. A gentle hand was on her   
shoulder. She turned around, seeing Princess Serena. "I will go after   
her all right? You go join Mina and Amy and try to calm down. So sorry   
for what she said."  
  
Lita looked at Serena gratefully and walked slowly over to   
the other two.  
  
"Hello," Princess Amy said. Princess Mina cowered behind her.   
Lita sat farther away from her, near Amy, so as not to startle   
her. Amy held Mina's hand to reassure her she would not let anyone   
harm her.  
  
"Hello," Princess Lita responded, calming down and smiling at   
them. "Hello," she said to Princess Mina.  
  
Mina smiled a little and squeaked out a shaky hello.  
  
"Nothing to be scared of. I promise. I would never hurt you,"   
Lita promised. Mina smiled some more.  
  
Serena ran after Raye. She stopped for a second to catch her   
breath. Heaving and gasping. *Goodness she is so fast,* Serena thought  
tiredly. She shook her head and pursed her lips in determination,   
surveying the forest area and running again after Princess Raye.   
  
She finally found Raye slumped against a tree crying. Her   
whole body nearly convulsing from the deep, painful cries. Tears   
filled Serena's eyes as she stood there silently, feeling deep   
sympathy for this fellow princess.   
  
Raye sensed her and looked up. She wiped her tears away   
angrily in shame. "What do you want?" she asked harshly.  
  
"A friend," Serena said simply.  
  
"You have friends. Go back to them you wimp."  
  
"Is that what you call everyone who tries to help you?"  
  
"I do not want your help."  
  
"Why? Because it might mean someone actually cares for you?"   
Serena asked wisely for her age.  
  
Raye looked away. "Just leave," she said coldly.  
  
Serena sat down beside her instead. "Do...do your pparents   
hhurt you?" she stuttered shakily.  
  
Raye looked at her sympathetic eyes with her own pain-filled   
ones. There was a long silence. "Yes," she said finally.  
  
"Oh Raye, I am so sorry," she said.  
  
Raye began to cry again, and Serena reached out to hug her.   
Raye accepted the hug, falling into Serena's arms, sobs wracking her  
small body.  
  
Amy was getting concerned. "Serena has been gone a long time.   
Do you think she is all right?"  
  
"I think so," Lita responded.   
  
"I am going to go check on her just in case. I do not want her   
to get hurt," Amy said, walking away.  
  
Lita looked at Mina. Her green eyes softening at the shaking   
girl. Finally she spoke. "You are not the only one with hurt you   
know."  
  
Mina looked up at her, eyes wild with fear.  
  
"I...I know how it feels. Raye does too. We just all show it   
differently. Raye puts up the angry defense. I did that for awhile.   
Still do, though not with you all anymore. You hide behind your fear.   
Different methods, but the same pain drives it.   
  
Mina tilted her head and looked at Lita's soft, kind green   
eyes.   
  
"I will be here for you," Lita promised. Mina scooted nearer   
and laid her head on Lita's shoulder. Lita held her close. "You will  
always be safe with me," she promised. "I would never let anyone hurt   
you."  
  
Amy was surprised when she came upon the scene of Raye and   
Serena hugging each other tightly, tears streaming from both of their  
faces. "Are you two all right?" she asked cautiously. Raye was silent.   
Serena came out of the hug but put her hand in Raye's. "I think so  
Amy. Just getting to know each other."  
  
"We are all here for you Raye," Amy said, her eyes softened at   
the girl's obvious pain.  
  
Raye nodded. "I know. Thank you." The three walked back   
together and an amazing sight met their eyes. The fighter Lita   
holding the fearful Mina who did not seem frightened. Serena smiled.   
Finally Mina was reaching out to another. Raye approached them   
softly. "I am sorry for all those times I scared you Mina....I was   
scared too..." Mina looked up and smiled.   
  
"It is all right," she promised quietly. They looked at one   
another, eyes full of love and understanding. Thus, the everlasting,  
strong friendships of these princesses began.  
  
  
Only a month later came the meeting of the other princesses.   
Angry that the other princesses were invited to Queen Serenity's  
palace for a meeting, the Kings and Queens of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune,   
and Pluto set up one for their daughters as well. The meeting was set   
up at King Tritan and Queen Tamara's palace on Pluto. The first to   
arrive and greet Trista were Michelle and Amara at nearly the same   
time. They saw each other and hugged then walked over to Trista and   
hugged her. Trista remained distant, but she smiled politely at them.   
Michelle and Amara looked at one another in concern, but neither one   
of them commented on either the circles under Trista's eyes or the   
even more distant feeling she gave off. Hotaru was a bit late. She   
apologized profusely. Trista waved her hand. "Nothing to apologize for   
small one," she said, her warmth for the little girl showing through   
a bit despite her distant attitude. Hotaru clung onto Trista, thanking   
her and leaning her tired, aching head on her. Trista looked down at   
her. *She is always so frail, full of aches, and so clingy. I do not   
think her parents take care of her,* she thought sadly as she held the   
girl close to give her as much comfort as possible. The meeting was   
mainly uneventful other than Amara and Michelle mostly talking to one   
another as Trista and Hotaru held one another silently. Amara and   
Michelle eventually walked off to be on their own.  
  
They walked through the forests. Michelle was sneaking looks   
at Amara, but Amara was too absorbed in her own thoughts to notice.  
Michelle smiled briefly. *She is so beautiful when she goes into deep   
thought. Hell,* Michelle thought, *she is always beautiful no matter  
what she is doing.*   
  
Amara turned to see Michelle looking at her strangely. She   
coughed and looked down at the ground in embarrassment. "So   
Michelle..."she ventured cautiously.  
  
"Yes?" Michelle's sweet voice rang in her ears.   
  
*No,* Amara thought to herself as she quickly shook that   
thought out of her mind and pushed it down into the far recesses of   
her soul. Using all her might to deny it. If she did not acknowledge   
it, it would not exist she fooled herself into believing. She did not   
know how to bring up the power she had discovered. She did not know if   
Michelle would believe her, or how she would react. She tried to hint   
around it for awhile, preparing herself for the worst reaction   
possible. She knew she should not ever tell anyone. She wanted this to   
be her own secret, but somehow it did not seem right keeping her best   
friend out of it. "So, have you ever felt so frustrated you wished  
you could do so much more than just kick or punch something?" she   
asked, trying to keep her voice casual. *Please do not let her hear   
the strain in my voice.*  
  
*She is trying so hard to keep the strain out of her voice,*   
Michelle thought sympathetically. *Does she not realize she needs no  
façades around me? I love her just the way she is. No, not love, just   
intense like,* she promised herself. Although deep down she could not   
even believe that lie anymore. "Often," Michelle responded.  
  
Amara nodded and looked out across the lonely desert. "Me   
too," she said.  
  
"Amara?"  
  
"Hmm?" Amara asked, turning towards Michelle.  
  
Michelle put her hand in Amara's and gazed into her eyes. She   
looked away, blushing.   
  
*Michelle is blushing?* Amara thought in confusion.  
  
"I umm...is there something you are trying to tell me?" she   
asked.  
  
"I guess so," Amara admitted. "I just do not know how you   
will react."  
  
"Amara, you know I will understand," Michelle promised.  
  
Amara nodded. "I know, but I...it is just so personal. I do   
not want to...ruin this good thing."  
  
Michelle looked at her strangely. *Could she possibly have the   
same feelings for me? No...what feelings Michelle? You like her...  
like, like, like, like, like, like...that is All,* she emphasized to   
herself. "Amara, I promise it will not ruin it. You are free to feel  
however you feel and to be yourself."  
  
"Well," Amara began uncomfortably. "Do you think it is   
possible for a person to have certain...powers?" she asked, trying to   
appear curious.  
  
*Darn.* "Yes," Michelle answered. "I do think that is   
definitely possible." *Does she know about my sea powers?*  
  
"That would be neat I think..." Amara said cautiously.  
  
"Definitely," Michelle answered, relieved.  
  
"Oh good," Amara said in relief. "I am glad to hear you say   
that because well see...I discovered recently that I have these   
powers."  
  
Michelle's mouth opened. "You too?"  
  
"You have powers too?"  
  
"Yes," Michelle said, her dignified face actually showing   
excitement.   
  
Amara's usually apathetic face also broke out into   
excitement. "I think mine are related to the land and wind."  
  
"Mine are related to water," Michelle said.  
  
"I will show you mine if you show me yours," Amara said in   
excitement.  
  
Michelle nodded in agreement.  
  
Amara glowed golden and decimated everything in the area-which   
was not much.  
  
Michelle smiled and allowed herself to glow blue as she burst   
out with her strong water power. The few remaining bushes were  
destroyed.  
  
Amara smiled in appreciation, and they hugged.  
  
"I am sure if we spent more time we could get them under   
better control," Michelle suggested. "After all, right now we are   
destroying everything within 20 feet. I bet in time we could destroy   
more at farther distances as well as keep it so only a certain path   
or even target got hit by our powers."  
  
Amara nodded, eager to practice with Michelle. They had such   
a wonderful practice that they nearly forgot the time and almost did   
not return to the meeting in time. Trista and Hotaru hugged them and   
said goodbye. Trista looked at them strangely but said nothing, and   
they both wondered silently if she knew something. "I am sure she   
simply senses we were up to something. She is so perceptive. I do   
not think she knows about our powers," Michelle assured Amara.  
  
"Maybe she has them too," Amara said.  
  
"Maybe...I do not think I want to risk it right now though."  
  
"No, you are right. I have had enough risk for one day from   
showing you," Amara responded.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	4. Celebrations

Chapter Three, Celebrations:  
  
By now she had come to expect the visions. The woman in the   
cloak in that grayish place surrounded by the mist. She sighed upon  
realization that she was here again. She looked around her, not   
expecting to see anything new but surveying the area just in case.   
She sighed when the woman in the cloak approached her again. She   
looked at her silently. The woman made no mention of the sigh.   
"Today, I tell you more," she said. "You are destined for a great   
power and an imperative place in this universe. The only question   
is if you are up to the task."  
  
"You tell me," the princess said shrewdly. "You are the one   
with the insight after all," she added politely.  
  
The woman smiled a bit. "I have not had this much contact   
with another being in years. You have a certain...unique perspective   
that I have never seen in all my years, and that is quite a long   
long time."  
  
"Is this a vision?" the princess asked.  
  
The woman looked at the princess as though she had just   
asked the strangest question, but she nodded her head briefly as she   
took her hood off to reveal a beautiful, young woman. *She said she   
has lived so long, and she has such insight and wisdom as well as   
such an old sounding voice. How could she possibly be this young?*  
  
"I am not as young as I look," the woman said. She had   
either read the princess' mind or accurately guessed her thoughts.   
Either way, she was going to be explaining something quite amazing   
the princess felt.  
  
He raised his head slowly and stretched out. His mind was   
still fuzzy from the sleep. *Thank goodness. I almost did not wake   
up in time,* he thought. The thought frightened him, and he checked   
the clock frantically to ensure that he was in fact going to be in   
time. He only had a few minutes he realized. He took one last look   
at the golden haired girl who for once was actually sleeping. He had   
a feeling she had not slept much before he came to sleep in her bed.   
*I hate to leave her,* he thought. Then he shook his head. *You knew   
this was only temporary. You still have duties to attend to, and you   
have fulfilled the duties from the vision. What more could possibly   
be expected of me?* he wondered tiredly. He could not resist walking   
softly up to her head and nuzzling her head with his. *I love you my   
dear friend,* he thought sadly.   
  
Princess Mina stirred, feeling fur tickling her face. She   
opened her eyes to see the sparkling blue eyes of Artemis staring   
into her own sparkling blue ones. She sighed and turned towards him.   
"What is wrong Artemis?" she asked, beginning to panic.  
  
"Nothing is wrong," he said sadly, looking away from her   
eyes. He could not stand to see the pain in those beautiful blue   
eyes. It reflected the inner torment of her soul. *How can I leave   
her all alone?* he asked himself. Anger towards himself began to   
well up inside. He reluctantly forced himself to jump off the bed   
and walk towards the balcony which was open to let in some air.   
  
"Artemis?" she asked shakily, her senses alerted. She was   
no longer afraid someone was after her. She was concerned for her   
best friend. Very concerned in fact.   
  
"Mina, I have to go. I am sorry."  
  
"Why? When will you be back?" She sat upright in her bed.  
  
Artemis looked down and away from her pain-filled eyes.  
  
"I..." *How can I tell her it is forever?* he wondered.   
*Maybe I can visit her again sometime,* he thought. *Yes, that is   
it. I will make sure to visit her somehow sometime.* The King was   
fairly understanding especially to someone as devoted as him. He   
could hopefully get some time to himself. *If I can find a way to   
explain this time away,* he thought.   
  
"Arrtemiiiiis," she wailed. "You are coming back are you   
not?" she whined, tears streaming from her tormented eyes.   
  
He grimaced. "Of course. I just...need some fresh air."  
  
She looked doubtful but said nothing about her suspicions.   
"All right," she said, nodding her head. "Do not stay out too long   
please. I do not know how to sleep or get on without you. You are   
the only friend I have here on Venus," she said desperately.  
  
Tears trickled down his white, furry face. He turned to her.   
"Oh Mina. I am not going anywhere," he promised, jumping up onto the  
bed. He nuzzled her and lay down next to her arms as she petted him.  
  
"I thought you needed some air," she said.  
  
*Can I really abandon my duties and do this? I should be   
going...* He looked into her eyes, and his eyes filled with   
compassion. *Yes, she needs me, and I cannot imagine leaving her.   
She is such a dear friend to me. I do not care if it legally wrong.   
In my heart I know this is right.* "No," he replied. "I got all the   
air I needed."  
  
She sighed in content and petted him, wrapping herself in   
the blankets as she closed her eyes and returned to the dream world.   
  
Princess Raye would be turning eleven. Queen Serenity looked   
around. She was feeling anxious. She was afraid that the royalty of   
the planets Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn would not be   
arriving. If they did not show up to this birthday celebration, then   
she was in serious trouble. She knew they were upset over the   
meeting she had arranged with Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter. She   
planned to explain it to them tonight, but that would be impossible   
if they did not show up. Not showing up to the birthday celebration   
of a royal member of the Silver Millennium Alliance was practically   
akin to breaking off from the Alliance. She paced back and forth.   
The celebration had started half an hour ago, and the others were   
here. What would she do if they did not show up? What if she had   
destroyed the Alliance forever?  
  
Princess Serena went up and hugged her mother before   
returning to her friends. She could sense her mother's worry. *She   
must be worried that the other royalty have not shown up. I hope   
they come soon,* Serena wished.  
  
Prince Darien was sitting by himself, and he liked it that   
way. Any attempts by another to join him were stopped quickly by   
him. Princess Raye was sitting and talking with the rest. Serena   
smiled a bit as she joined them. *I am so glad that she is part of   
our friendship group now.*  
  
Raye smiled at Serena as she sat back down with the group.   
She had been worried about her mother Raye knew. Raye marveled at   
Serena's kindness and compassion for others, especially her mother   
and friends. *How can she care about her mother so much? I could not   
care less about mine. I wish I had the caring personality she did,*   
Raye thought sadly. *She is so amazing.*   
  
"Are you excited about the cake you will be having?" Lita   
asked excitedly.  
  
Raye nodded some, not really hearing the question.  
  
Amy cautiously waved her hand in front of Raye's face. "Oh,   
what is it?" Raye asked.  
  
"You must have been thinking very deeply," Amy commented.  
  
They all looked at her a bit strangely. "Yes, I suppose I   
was," Raye responded.  
  
"Anything you want to talk about?" Lita asked kindly.  
  
"No," Raye said a bit shortly. "Let us just eat the cake."  
  
"And open gifts," Serena added.  
  
"And open gifts," Raye agreed.  
  
Mina smiled as Serena and Raye hugged her and brought her   
back some delicious cake.   
  
Artemis saw the black cat sitting on Serena's lap. She was   
cleaning herself, and he jumped off of Mina's lap to go greet her.   
She looked up from her cleaning with her dark red eyes and stared   
into his dark blue ones. "Well hello there beautiful," Artemis said,   
winking at the gorgeous cat. "I am Artemis!" he announced proudly.  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Luna," she said coldly as she   
returned to her grooming.   
  
"Want to go off somewhere pretty kitty?" he asked.  
  
Luna rolled her eyes. "You are pathetic. Leave me alone,"   
she said.  
  
Artemis grinned and went back into Mina's lap, his eyes   
shining with glee.   
  
King Tritan and Queen Tamara arrived as well as the rest of   
the royalty shortly afterwards. Apparently, they had been trying to  
frighten Queen Serenity enough into realizing how she was   
jeopardizing the Alliance. It worked. Queen Serenity immediately   
apologized and explained how it was actually for the children, not   
for any other purpose. The royalty was of course all very surprised   
by this. The King and Queen of Saturn wanted to know how she ever   
thought of something so strange. The King and Queen of Pluto   
remained silent. The King of Neptune said it was ridiculous, and of   
course his wife agreed. The Queen of Uranus was of course very   
confused, but the King of Uranus asked her and everyone else to   
simply accept it. The King and Queen of Pluto agreed as did the   
royalty of Saturn-though reluctantly. The King of Neptune was   
outnumbered, so he and his wife basically had to give in.   
  
Princess Trista, Princess Hotaru, Princess Amara, and   
Princess Michelle all approached the other princesses. "Hello,"   
they all politely said to one another.   
  
Lita handed them each a piece of cake.  
  
"None for me please," Michelle requested.  
  
"None for me either," Trista requested.  
  
"Are you two kidding? This is the most delicious cake,"   
Amara said, eating it happily.  
  
Hotaru dug into it like a ravenous beast. She ate so quickly   
and hungrily and ate so many pieces that the others wondered when   
had been the last time she had eaten. They did not know however that   
it had in fact been quite some time.  
  
As the party ended and the royalty left, Lita, Amy, Mina,   
and Serena all hugged Raye close. "We are with you always in heart,"   
Lita promised.  
  
"Yes," Amy agreed, pointing to her heart.  
  
Serena and Mina also pointed to their hearts in agreement.   
She smiled at them. "Thank you," she said, tears in her eyes.   
  
Before they left, Serena remained behind for a moment. "Is   
anything wrong?" she asked Raye cautiously.  
  
Raye was silent and looked down. "I am...scared," she   
hesitantly admitted.  
  
"Raye...why?" Serena asked, her eyes shining with sorrow.  
  
"I know I will be in trouble for something I did wrong at   
this party. I do not know what, but I always am. I just hope it is   
not too bad of a punishment this time."  
  
"Oh Raye, come back with me too my mother's palace,"   
Serena begged. "No one will hurt you there. I promise," she said,   
crying and holding her friend close.  
  
"No one hurts you there?" Raye asked.  
  
"No, of course not," Serena sobbed.  
  
Raye's eyebrows furrowed. *Is her situation normal or is   
mine?* she wondered inside. "I am glad," was all she voiced to   
Serena.  
  
Serena begged again, but Raye shook her head. "No...you know   
as well as I do that I cannot do that. I have to be here," she said  
quietly. Although she sounded resigned to the fact, inside she was   
feeling a regret no one else could know she felt.   
  
A little over two long months later, Serena's eleventh   
birthday was celebrated. Everyone was there for the celebration of   
course. It was a joyous occasion. At least on the surface. It was   
out in the palace gardens. Princess Michelle was talking with Prince   
Darien. *She must be so brave,* Serena thought. Princess Amara was   
mingling and sneaking glances at the blue haired beauty.   
  
"So Darien, how are you doing?" Michelle asked politely.  
  
Darien laughed. "Oh come on. How are any of us doing?" he   
asked bluntly.   
  
She nodded and did not respond, but she understood him   
perfectly. Darien nodded his head discreetly towards Princess Amara.   
"She keeps sneaking glances at you," he informed Princess Michelle.  
  
Princess Michelle remained calm and composed outside, but   
inside her heart fluttered. "Really?" she asked, trying to appear   
nonchalant.   
  
"Really," he said. *They have something special,* he   
noticed to himself.  
  
Princess Trista joined them. "Hello," she said.  
  
"Hello," they both responded.   
  
*I really relate to her solitary, silent nature,* Darien   
thought to himself. *She is attractive too. Such beautiful, long   
flowing green hair. So why am I not attracted to her?* he wondered   
curiously. His eyes were drawn to the blonde haired beauty for   
whom this party was being celebrated. He checked himself.   
*Seriously Darien. She is naive, too young, and much too friendly   
and outgoing for you.* Inside though his whole body felt warm from   
the thought of her.  
  
Serena laughed. Lita had just told the most hilarious joke.   
They all chuckled. Even Mina and Hotaru smiled a bit.   
  
That night as Serena lay down in bed, Serenity kissed her   
daughter on the forehead. "How was your birthday celebration   
precious?" she asked softly.  
  
"All right," Serena mumbled. *Even though he still did not   
notice me,* she thought regretfully.  
  
It was soon time for the annual Alliance meeting again.   
The royalty all arrived for their meeting, and the princesses all   
stayed together in that large room in the Moon Kingdom Palace once   
again. At this particular meeting they all sat together except for   
Princess Trista and Prince Darien who sat off on their own speaking   
in hushed tones. Princess Amara and Princess Michelle would look   
over there every once in awhile as would Princess Hotaru who was   
now quite close to Princess Trista, but they remained with the   
other group. Hotaru wanted to see Mina again, and Amara and   
Michelle sensed that Trista needed to be alone with Darien.   
  
Lita and Serena began to tease each other. Amy and Mina   
smiled as they watched. Raye seemed to be thinking about something   
though she did laugh at a few of their comments. Artemis sat in   
Mina's lap and winked at Luna who was sitting next to Serena. Luna   
rolled her eyes and looked away from him.   
  
Mina stood up suddenly, knocking poor Artemis over. Luna   
looked at this and burst out in laughter. He rubbed his head with   
his paw, glaring at her in a half mocking, half serious way. Luna   
smiled some. A genuine smile. Artemis smiled in delight.   
  
"Where are you going Mina?" Raye asked, feeling concerned   
and curious.  
  
"I need to use the...umm...you know..." Mina said, looking   
down.  
  
"Two doors down and to the right," Serena said, turning   
towards her. "Do you want me to walk with you?"  
  
Mina shook her head. "I can do it," she said though she   
sounded a bit unsure.   
  
The hallway was light enough, but there were so many doors   
going all the way down the hallway. Anyone could come out of any of   
them at any moment. Mina knew that from experience, and she knew it   
would only take an instant for someone to snatch her up and use her   
body again. She shook from the anxiety and fear. She shakily   
stepped forward. Nothing happened. Then she ran. She ran down the   
hall and past the two doors. Wham! She ran into someone, falling   
back on her butt. She began shaking in fear, looking away from the   
person. Knowing that at best she would be in trouble for being so   
clumsy, and at worst...well she did not want to think about the   
worst possible situation. A hand was in front of her but not to hit   
her. She looked up the long, slender arm at the compassionate face   
of Queen Serenity. She gasped. She was really going to be in   
trouble for this one. "Please...I am sorry," she said in a small   
shaky voice.   
  
Queen Serenity's concern grew. "Dear there is nothing to be   
frightened of. I will not harm you. You did nothing wrong. A simple   
mistake. You could not see me because you were running. You do not   
run much. Perhaps you should do it more often hm?" she asked   
kindly. She was still holding out her hand in kindness but not   
touching her or forcing her to take the hand. Mina stood up shakily   
without the hand. Hands were never a good thing she knew.   
  
"Mina, will you come to talk with me after you use the   
bathroom? You are not in any trouble all right? I just want to get   
to know you. Mina shuddered. She had heard that one before. Queen   
Serenity looked at her in concern. *"Hello sweetheart," the deep   
man's voice said. She looked up at his eyes. They had this terrible   
glint to them, but he masked it with a kind voice and smiled   
gently. "How would you like to come with me and talk? I would   
really like to get to know you sweetie," he said in a caring   
voice.* A caring voice coming from a man that put his hand up her   
skirt and pushed himself on her. The man who taught her how to   
kiss. She shuddered and ran into the bathroom to clean herself   
and use the bathroom.   
  
However, unlike that man, Queen Serenity really did just   
want to talk and get to know her. Mina admitted to being scared of   
men, but she would not explain why to Queen Serenity. *Well, it is   
a start,* Serenity thought.   
  
She got a gentle hug from Serenity. At first she flinched   
and wanted to get out. Serenity let go though and apologized. This   
encouraged Mina who asked again for one. Serenity gave her another   
gentle hug, and Mina smiled some. *So this is what good touch feels   
like?* she thought. She returned to the other princesses but stayed   
silent, thinking to herself. Serena sensed something wrong and sat   
with her, holding her hand. She smiled warmly at Serena, glad for   
her good friend and her friend's wonderful mother.  
  
This group of people did not see one another again until   
Darien's fourteenth birthday at the beginning of August.   
Serena smiled happily as she got ready to go to Earth. She loved   
the Earth. Something about it was just so wonderful. Besides her   
attraction to Darien, the actual planet itself was so fascinating   
and just felt so right to her. It felt like home, much more so than   
the Moon did. She often wondered why, but she also noticed how for   
her mother it was always very hard to go to the planet Earth. Her   
mother seemed to feel much more comfortable and at home on Earth   
as well, but she always got this distant look of sorrow on her face   
that Serena felt must be connected to her father somehow. She never   
asked about it though. She did not want to bring him up to her   
mother. She never brought him up to her mother. Not that her mother   
would refuse to talk about it, but well Serena could not stand the   
pain she would see in her mother's face when her father was   
mentioned. She sighed. She wished she could talk about him some   
with her mother and get to know what he had been like and how he   
had died. She wanted her mother to comfort her, but she knew if   
she brought it up she would have to be the one comforting her  
mother.  
  
It was over a month later before they all saw one another   
again at Amy's eleventh birthday celebration. Amy's birthday   
celebration marked the first time everyone sat together in a large   
group and talked and got to know one another at Amy's request.   
  
"I like your long hair Trista. It looks much better than   
it did when it was shorter," Serena commented.  
  
"I agree," Hotaru said.  
  
Trista smiled. "Thank you both," she said. "I like it   
better this way myself. It took so long to grow back out."  
  
Michelle and Amara looked at one another. They had both   
discussed before that they found her haircut very strange over a   
year ago. Trista had adored her hair. Why would she or anyone else   
cut it? They both sensed something deeper at work, but neither one   
could discern what that deeper thing was.  
  
Artemis took Luna off to the side. She sighed. "Well what   
did you want to see me for?" she asked impatiently. She liked   
Artemis in many ways. He was so funny and entertaining and kind,   
but he also often aggravated her due to his clumsiness and   
ridiculous habit of winking at her and raising his eyebrows all the   
time.   
  
Artemis looked around to make sure no one was there. "How   
would you like to tell me your story, and I will tell you mine?" he   
asked.  
  
"Story?" she asked in confusion. "Get to the point   
Artemis," she said harshly.  
  
He sighed. He had a feeling it was all a protective front,   
but still did she have to be so harsh and cold all the time? There   
were those few rare moments she smiled though...that made it all   
worth it to him. Her smile lit up his world. "I mean how you became   
a cat. I know from Serena and Mina that you were once a Lunar being.   
I was once a being too, so I was wondering what your story behind   
all that was. I am sure you were very curious about mine as well,"   
he said winking again.  
  
She groaned. *He winked again. I swear if I had hands I   
would strangle him right now.* "Not in the least," she said coldly.  
  
He sighed. "All right. Still, would you be willing to tell   
me yours?"  
  
"Hmm...no," she said. "That is very personal."  
  
"So is mine."  
  
"Well then why do you not tell me yours first, and I will   
be the judge of that?" she asked.  
  
"All right. I will go first," he said, rising to the   
challenge. "It all began one morning when a handsome, dashing young   
baby boy was born," Artemis began.  
  
She growled lowly. "Save it," she warned. "Skip to the part   
where you are turned into a cat."  
  
"Oh right," Artemis coughed innocently. "I was a guard to   
the Prince of Tritan up until over a year ago when I was turned   
into a cat and met Mina."  
  
Luna sighed. "How did you get turned into a cat?" she   
asked in exasperation. *Is he trying to be annoying on purpose?*  
  
"Oh right," he said again. "I was quite a gallant, brave   
fighter and wise advisor to the Prince." Luna rolled her eyes.   
*Will he ever get over himself?* she wondered in irritation. "Well   
I began having these visions. At first I thought the visions were   
to help the Prince or to help me learn something that would   
somehow help the Prince in the future. However, I began to learn   
over time that the visions were meant for me and me alone and not   
to benefit anyone else. Well actually, it was meant to benefit   
another, but not the Prince or anyone on Tritan for that matter."   
Luna nodded, encouraging him to continue. "Well, I had discerned   
from the vision that I was supposed to meet a Venusian and aid that   
being somehow. I was not sure how I was supposed to aid this person   
or even who this person was, but I could not ignore this vision as   
it got more intense every time I got it. Also, I really wanted to   
fulfill this vision. It appeared to be part of some larger destiny.   
One day a traveling witch came to the Tritan Kingdom Palace. I went   
to see her on my own, hoping she could help me. I had always heard   
that witches were usually eccentric, dangerous, and stupid, but I   
had a feeling she could help me. Besides I have never really  
listened to rumors anyway." Luna smiled some at that one. *So we   
do have one thing in common,* she thought to herself. "Well, I told   
her I needed to get to Venus but that I could not go as myself   
because too many people would know me. She was definitely   
eccentric, but she also seemed wise and powerful. She touched my   
smooth forehead.* He winked at her. Luna rolled her eyes. "Then she   
closed her eyes, and I think she got my vision for herself though   
I cannot be sure. She said 'Ah I see. This is very important after   
all.' I suppose she had not been taking me very seriously up until   
that point. She said she could get me to Venus, but there was only   
one disguise she had perfected for beings. I said that was fine.   
We set up a time to meet again six months later so that she could   
return me to my original state, and I could continue my duties   
with the Prince of Tritan. I thought that was quite awhile, but   
she said it could take me awhile to complete this piece of my   
destiny. I agreed because she seemed wise and knowledgeable about   
this. She seemed to know what it was the vision was specifically   
about though she would not tell me of course. Those darn witches   
always have to keep it all mysterious." He laughed. "So next thing   
I know I wake up on the planet Venus, and I am a cat. I did not   
even realize what I was at first as you can probably relate to. I   
looked down and saw paws. I was wondering what the hell she had   
turned me into. I figured to have those small paws and the world   
seemed so much larger that I was a cat though, and when I looked   
in a lake the image looking back at me confirmed it. If you think   
I am handsome now, you have not seen anything yet. My human form is   
even better," he promised, winking at her again.   
  
Luna sighed. "So what happened?"  
  
"I ran into Mina. I did not realize at the time that she   
was either the Princess of Venus or the girl from my vision with   
whom I was supposed to fulfill my destiny. I was just drawn to her   
and felt concerned for her because she seemed so sad, scared, and   
lonely. I am so glad I found her," he said, looking with   
tear-filled eyes at Mina. "She is the best friend a man could ever   
ask for."  
  
Luna's eyes were also getting watery. She smiled some "That   
is beautiful." She shook her head, not wanting to cry. "Well, if   
you were supposed to meet that witch six months after that time you   
met Mina, would you not have gone back over six months ago?"  
  
Artemis nodded. "I never went to the meeting," he admitted.   
"Please do not turn me in or tell anyone else. I know that legally   
my obligation is to the Prince of Tritan and that I accomplished   
what I came here to do-which I discovered was to help her see there   
is some good in this world, even in the presence of men. Believe me   
there was no one more dedicated to the cause of Tritan or more   
devoted to the Prince of Tritan, but when I got up to leave early   
that morning and saw her tormented eyes I...I just. It just did not   
feel right," he finished.  
  
Luna nodded. "I do not know what the right decision would   
have been. You were put in a very difficult position. I will not   
tell anyone," she promised.  
  
"What about you?" Artemis asked. "How did you become a   
cat?"  
  
Luna contemplated whether or not to tell him for a few   
minutes. "I do not know that I feel ready to tell you about that   
right now," she admitted.  
  
"Sometime then?" Artemis asked persistently but not   
forcefully.  
  
"Perhaps sometime," Luna answered vaguely.  
  
Princess Mina of Venus was the next to have a birthday   
celebration and bring all the princesses, the prince, and the cats   
together once again. She was turning eleven. Everyone talked and   
chatted and had a grand time-at least on the surface. Underneath it   
all was, as always, another matter.  
  
In specific Princess Mina was approached by Queen Serenity   
and taken off to talk with her alone again. Artemis accompanied her   
this time to keep her company.   
  
Queen Serenity sat across from Princess Mina. "Mina tell me   
please why are you afraid of men?" she eventually ventured after   
some small chat. Mina looked down and did not answer. "Mina, I care   
about you so much, and I know your parents do too. If there is   
anyway we can help you, please tell me."  
  
"You will tell my parents if I tell you?" Mina asked quickly   
in fear.  
  
"Well...maybe not...I suppose not if you do not want me to.   
Does it involve them?"  
  
"No...but I just do not think they should know. I might be   
in trouble."  
  
"Mina, you will not be in trouble I promise. Do you not   
believe that your parents care for you?"  
  
"No," Mina answered honestly but hesitantly.  
  
"Oh Mina. I feel they care for you with all their hearts,   
but you are their daughter and would know better how they treat you.   
I am here for you. Tell me please...did a man do something to you?"   
she asked softly, reaching her hand out to Mina but wisely keeping   
her distance.  
  
Mina nodded her head.  
  
"Oh Mina, I am so sorry." Tears came to her eyes. "No child   
should experience that. No person should for that matter."  
  
"I am so bad," Mina said in shame, looking down.  
  
"Oh no Mina. You are sooo good. Anyone who tells you   
otherwise is the bad one. I am so sorry he made you feel that way.   
You may not know this, but I have been hurt in that way too though   
I was much older when it happened."  
  
Mina looked up in surprise. "You were?"  
  
"Yes dear. I know how horrible it feels. I know the shame   
and guilt and fear and pain and hurt and even anger."  
  
Mina shook her head. "No anger," she said quietly.  
  
"Hmm...there is anger, but you may have suppressed it as   
Wesley did. Or you may be turning it on yourself. Are you angry with   
yourself Mina?"  
  
"Yes," Mina said. "Cause I am so bad."  
  
Serenity shook her head. "Bad people made you believe that.   
They put their bad souls into you, or made you believe that they   
did. In reality though they cannot touch your soul deep inside. I   
know it hurts so badly and the pain will never completely go away. I   
am so sorry for that, but it can get better. I promise. Now Mina,   
can you try to tell me who did this to you?"  
  
Mina shook her head vigorously.  
  
"I know he scared you into not talking. He probably even   
told you not to ever tell or something bad would happen to you or   
others. Maybe that is why you think you will get in trouble with   
your parents? I do not know for sure what he said, but I do know for   
sure that your parents want you to be safe. I do know that you will   
not be in trouble and that you and everyone else will be safe."  
  
"I do not want to get him in trouble," Mina said quietly,   
still looking down.  
  
]"Oh, I know the deep shame you feel Mina, and how you think   
he is so wonderful while you are trash. It is actually the other way   
around. You feel so scared and weak all the time, but you know what?   
You are actually very strong to survive this and still be here. I am  
so proud of you," Serenity said honestly.  
  
Mina could feel how she was speaking from the heart and held   
her hand tentatively. "Well...there is the top guard," she said.  
  
"Are there others?" Serenity asked in concern.  
  
Mina looked away. "No," she finally said after awhile.  
  
"Mina, he is bad. Not you."  
  
"The top guard is violent though. The others are not."  
  
"It does not matter if the person is violent or not. He   
forced you to do something against your will and even worse at an age   
you were not emotionally or physically ready for it. The others are   
just as wrong."  
  
"He says he loves me and I am his sweetheart, and the others   
are so gentle."  
  
"Mina, I promise it is wrong. You know it in your heart too.   
It hurts does it not? I know you may begin to feel like you like it   
because every little girl wants to feel special and wanted. They gave   
that to you, but they showed you that in the wrong way. You are   
special and very wanted, but that is not how an adult shows that to a   
child."  
  
"I am not bad for wanting it sometimes?"  
  
"No, just hurt and lost and confused."  
  
"The other guards..." she admitted in fear.  
  
"Oh Mina, all of them?"  
  
Mina nodded her head.  
  
"Can I hug you?'  
  
"Yes," Mina said quietly.  
  
Serenity embraced her gently. "You are so special and worth   
so much, and no one has the right to hurt you like that. You are so   
good. I am so sorry you have this deep pain. I am here for you to   
talk to always all right? Can I tell your parents? I promise they   
will fire the guards, and you will not be in trouble. They will be   
there for you too all right?"  
  
Mina nodded.  
  
"Good, thank you precious," she said smoothing Mina's hair   
gently with her hand. Mina closed her eyes and allowed herself to   
feel the smooth, gentle good touch.   
  
The celebration was over, but Serena and Mina were still   
together. Mina was crying on Serena's shoulder who held her. Serena   
did not know what had happened, but it felt like a huge weight had   
been lifted off of Mina. She knew Mina held deep pain. She had   
always known, but she could not understand how deep the pain ran or   
what she was going through. So she just tried to be there for her   
as a friend. She held Mina close now and tears filled her eyes. *If   
only I knew how to help her,* Serena thought in desperation.  
  
"I cannot believe this," Michael said angrily, pacing the   
room back and forth in anxiety.  
  
"I know. I know this is hard to believe," Queen Serenity   
said. "I have been through this though," she added, looking at   
them both in desperation. "I know this happened to her. I am sure   
it was all of the guards."  
  
Miriam nodded her head. "We believe you Serenity." Sobs   
came out of her mouth as tears streamed down her face. "How could   
I miss how much my baby was hurting?" she cried. "I am a horrible   
mother."  
  
"Oh no Miriam," Serenity said in reassurance, holding her   
close and comforting her. Michael sat down, his anger died down   
and began to sob too. She hugged him and Miriam close. "You are   
wonderful parents," she promised.  
  
That evening, after tucking Serena into her bed, Serenity   
sat beside her window thinking. *Why did I say they were   
wonderful?* she wondered. She knew why. She always had to comfort   
people in such obvious pain, but their pain was nothing compared to   
what Mina had been through, and she knew this from experience. She   
sighed. She did not know that she would so far as to call them   
horrible parents, but she never should have said they were   
wonderful either. Her eyes were filled with deep pain and sorrow as   
she looked out the window. *I should have told them they messed up.   
Messed up greatly. No maybe they were not ready for that yet, but I   
should not have said they were wonderful parents. Eleven years of   
having Mina as a daughter, and they never saw any signs. Never were   
there for her enough for Mina to think she could go to either one   
of them. No, a few times a month or two was a mistake. Eleven years   
of not being there and realizing when even she noticed something   
was wrong with Mina the few times she had seen her. Eleven years of   
not seeing the pain their daughter was in was not a mistake or   
even a mess up. It was bad parenting.* She hated to think of Miriam   
as a bad parent. She knew that Miriam and Michael did care for   
their daughter, but they did not take care of her and both were   
essential to being a good parent. She sighed. How to tell them   
this? Could she keep it to herself? *No, I have to tell them at   
some point,* she realized. *They have to know.*  
  
Princess Trista was turning eighteen, and everyone was   
gathered for the celebration. Princess Amara, Princess Michelle,   
and Princess Lita were among the first to arrive. Princess Hotaru,   
Princess Serena, Princess Amy, Prince Darien, and Princess Raye   
were the next ones to arrive in that order. The last to arrive was   
Princess Mina, and everyone was in for a surprise.  
  
Serena looked up in surprise to hear a loud voice announce   
her arrival. "Hello everyone!!" Mina said loudly. "How are you all   
doing?" A large smile was plastered all over her face, and her blue   
eyes were sparkling and shining with apparent joy. "So wonderful   
to see you all again!" she exclaimed.  
  
Princess Serena just stood there with her mouth open. In   
fact everyone seemed nearly paralyzed, their mouths open in   
amazement. Prince Darien was the first to recover. "Hello," he   
said.  
  
Princess Raye followed. "Hello there Princess Mina," she   
said.  
  
The rest, except for Hotaru and Serena, mumbled their   
surprised greetings. Hotaru had a sick feeling in her stomach. *Why   
is she acting like this?* she wondered in disgust. She went off in   
a corner to be by herself and would not speak to anyone, not even   
Trista could get a movement or sound out of her.  
  
While Trista and a few others were concerned with Hotaru,   
and the rest went back to talking and eating, Serena approached her   
best friend. "Mina?" she asked softly.  
  
"Yes, what is it?" Mina asked cheerfully, skipping over to   
the food table and grabbing a lot of food. "I am starved. How about   
you Serena? Want anything?"  
  
Serena shook her head. "No thanks."  
  
If Mina had been paying attention she would have noticed   
how unusual that was for the Princess of the Moon, but she was not   
paying attention. She began to eat her food in delight, smiling at   
Serena.  
  
"Mina?" Serena began again. "Why are you so...different?"   
she asked cautiously, not sure how to phrase her question.  
  
"You mean happy?" Mina asked.  
  
Serena nodded her head.  
  
"Well, I figured now that those creeps are out of my life,   
and my parents are supportive and apologetic. Your mom is there for   
me too. She is wonderful Serena." She smiled at Serena. "So, I   
decided with all that going for me why keep being so sad and quiet   
all the time? It really does not suit me. Cheerfulness is much more   
fun for everyone." She smiled a big smile again, her eyes glowing   
as she bit off a piece of cheese pastry hungrily.  
  
Serena had a weird feeling. This just did not feel right,   
but she nodded her head. "Sure," she responded.  
  
Princess Trista's celebration had been quite a large, long,   
exciting one because she was turning eighteen. Apparently that was   
an important age on the planet Pluto. Serena thought twenty was a   
more appropriate age for such a celebration, but she did not say   
anything. She wanted to talk to Mina, but Mina was remaining so   
sickeningly cheerful the whole time that she did not bother to do   
anything but agree with her and stay quiet. She sighed. *I hope   
this is not a permanent condition,* she thought.  
  
When Princess Trista fell asleep that night, she had the   
vision again. The cool grey mist enveloped her, and she looked   
around the eerie, mysterious atmosphere awaiting the arrival of   
that mysterious presence again. When she finally approached,   
Trista bowed her head to the figure in deference. Although she did   
not know who this figure was, she felt the action was appropriate.   
The woman inspired a sense of awe inside her. "It is time for you   
to receive your powers," the figure said mysteriously.  
  
Trista's confused crimson eyes looked into a pair of   
silver-greyish eyes. "Who are you?" she asked cautiously.  
  
"Do you not know?"  
  
Trista shook her head.  
  
"You will take my place."  
  
"What place? Of what are you speaking?"  
  
"You have a much greater destiny than being a princess and   
then queen of Pluto," the woman said.  
  
"What is my destiny?" she questioned.  
  
The woman smiled. "You are meant to guard the time gate."  
  
"What is this time gate you speak of?"  
  
The woman frowned. "Enough questions." She pointed to a   
gate in the distance, and Trista saw it now as the fog cleared from   
the wave of this woman's tall staff. "I see you are looking at my   
staff," the woman said. "You will get one too. Here," she said as a   
tall silver staff with a large heart shape on top and a small heart   
shape on top of that and with a small red ball in the center of the   
first large heart appeared. The handle of the staff looked like a   
long, large key. Trista looked at it in surprise and confusion.   
"You can channel your power through that," the woman explained.   
"The rest of your powers are connected to controlling and guarding   
time. You are not yet ready for that responsibility. I will come to   
you again when you are. In the meantime become acquainted with and   
good at controlling and destroying with these powers. You will need   
them."  
  
"You have these powers too?" Trista asked.  
  
The woman frowned again. "You know enough," she said,   
waving her staff. Trista woke up from her dream vision. She sighed   
and saw her staff lying on the bedpost of her sheer green bed. She   
squinted and examined it before returning to sleeping.  
  
She put her messy brown hair up in a clip. She hated how it   
was always getting in her way. The best she could do was clips, and   
they did not help much at all. Besides her parents expected her to   
keep it down a majority of the time. They thought it looked so   
beautiful that way. Well her father did anyways, and of course her   
mother had to agree with him. She sighed sadly and stared blankly at   
her table. She almost went into a trance when her mother entered the   
room. "Time to go Lita," she said.   
  
Princess Lita stepped into the room where Princess Raye and   
Princess Mina were already arriving for her eleventh birthday   
celebration. "Lita!" Mina exclaimed. This greeting did not startle   
Lita any longer. She had come to expect this greeting from the once   
quiet, lost girl who had suddenly changed. She sensed the change   
was only on the outside though. She sighed. There was that façade   
she knew so well. She had built one a long time ago, and she almost   
cried inside at the thought that Mina had now built one for herself   
too. She supposed that Mina had always had that wall up, but she had   
never pretended to be anything other than what she was. *Well   
another one of us princesses forced into a façade,* she thought in   
bitter sorrow. As each entered, she surveyed them curiously. Raye   
was her usual self with her guard up and that harsh, bitter, cold   
attitude. However, Serena and Mina were with her, and they knew her   
well enough to see through that. They were there for her, and Lita   
was glad for that. She had a feeling that Raye had been through   
more than enough pain for any person's lifetime, and she was only   
eleven for goodness sakes. She sighed as Princess Trista entered.   
*She has such a strange look in her eyes,* Lita thought to herself.   
She went off to be by herself, so Lita joined her and talked with   
her for awhile. Then came Prince Darien and Princess Hotaru at   
nearly the same time. They went and joined Lita and Trista. Hotaru   
clung to Trista like her life depended on it, and the thought   
flitted through Lita's mind that she had no mother. However, she   
knew this was not true. She then saw Princess Amy enter and excused   
herself. *Amy has such a distant look on her face. More distant   
than usual,* Lita observed in concern. As they began talking, she   
saw Princess Michelle and Princess Amara enter. They were walking   
side by side and looked so in sync that Lita could not help but   
think that they were cosmically connected somehow.   
  
"How are you Amy?" she asked in concern.  
  
"I am all right I suppose," Amy responded automatically.  
  
"No need for fronts with me Amy. I know you have to keep   
the mask on your face, but you can tell me how you are truly   
feeling. Is something wrong?"  
  
"Oh Lita, you are such a wonderful friend. Thank you for   
being so kind to me. I suppose I am just feeling so lost and   
confused and so badly about myself as usual. I feel like the worst   
person alive sometimes."  
  
"No, not at all. You are an intelligent, compassionate,   
helpful, interesting friend," Lita said. "Duties of the princess   
life getting you down?"  
  
"I suppose so," Amy said vaguely, the distant look   
remaining on her face. "How about some food?" she asked, changing   
the subject.  
  
Lita noticed but did not pursue the matter any further.   
"All right. I suppose I am hungry too."  
  
Hotaru's seventh birthday celebration was a small one, and   
Hotaru was not at all comfortable being in the spotlight. She ended   
up curling up in a corner and being held by Trista and soothed by   
the humming of the concerned Princess Michelle and jokes of   
Princess Amara. All of the other princesses as well as Prince   
Darien also came to sit next to her and reassure her they cared   
about her.  
  
The celebration was over thank goodness, and she could   
sleep in her own comfortable bed for tonight. She smiled a bit as   
she tried to fall asleep. As usual she was having a very difficult   
time falling asleep and ended up pacing around her room. She looked   
through the window outside. *I would be out there most nights,* she   
thought sadly. Then a wave of bitterness and anger overtook her   
body. She gritted her teeth with inner rage. She reached underneath   
her pillow and pulled out the knife. The blade was so shiny. She   
looked at the way it glinted as the light hit it. Her face   
contorted with deep inner hatred and anger. She swiped the knife   
across her arm repeatedly. She stared blankly at the red blood   
seeping out of the cuts and beginning to drip down her arm as she   
put more force behind the cut and dug the knife into her flesh. She   
began going deeper, and the blood was flowing by now. All her   
intense inner torment was flowing out of her body with the blood   
she felt. She stopped and smiled in relief. There that was better.   
Now she no longer felt so much of the inner pain. Now she felt the  
outer pain which was a lot more bearable for the girl. She did not   
notice that she was glowing purple. She had never cut this deep   
before or gotten this much relief she noticed. Then she saw the   
faint purple glow getting brighter and brighter. She was beginning   
to feel weak and faint. Everything was getting blurry. She felt so   
dizzy. She held onto the edge of her table shakily. The glow was   
growing very bright. At this point she was beginning to feel like   
she would faint or black out or something, but the glow got so   
strong that she closed her eyes from the brightness of it. When she   
opened her eyes, she saw her flesh completely healed. *Did the   
purple glow heal all my cuts? Or did I hallucinate those cuts?* she   
wondered in a hazy confusion. She closed her eyes and fell onto her   
bed to sleep.   
  
There was a small gathering for Luna's birthday   
celebration. She would be turning 35. Queen Serenity, Queen Miriam,   
King Michael, Princess Serena, Princess Mina, and Artemis of course   
were all present. Luna smiled as she got the thoughtful gifts from   
the King and Queens, but she sighed in frustration as she opened   
the cat toys Princess Serena and Princess Mina got for her. "I AM   
NOT A CAT!!!" she screamed.  
  
Serena's eyes got wide, and she began to shake her hands in   
front of her face, blushing. Princess Mina laughed in her usual new   
attitude. "Calm down there Luna," Mina said. "It was simply to   
tease you." Artemis burst out in laughter and winked at her.  
  
"Where you in on this Artemis??"   
  
"So what if I was?" he teased.  
  
"ARTEMIS!"  
  
"Tell me your story," Artemis said, confusing everyone for   
awhile with his abrupt change of thought.  
  
Luna sighed. "All right you white fur ball, but I warn you   
I will not take any interruptions."  
  
Artemis laughed. "Yes your highness," he teased.  
  
Luna hissed. Artemis backed away, and Luna smiled in   
satisfaction.  
  
"Well it all began with the arrival of Queen Beryl, though   
we did not know it was her at the time, at Queen Serenity's   
palace," the cat began. Luna was wisely leaving out Wesley's name.   
"I had been brought up by peasants in a nearby town, and I was   
hired as a substitute maid for the King, Queen, and Princess of the   
Moon. Serenity was the princess at the time. My name was Maria at   
the time because that was what my parents had named me."  
  
Artemis suppressed a laughter at the name Maria. Luna   
glared at him and quickly silenced him.  
  
"However, when Queen Beryl came we discovered that I was   
actually the daughter of Lune, a witch, and William, a former   
servant to Queen Serenity's mother when she was a princess. He had   
been killed going after Queen Beryl and later Lune had been killed   
protecting the Moon Kingdom Palace from Queen Beryl and her army.   
My real name was Luna, and I was actually a year younger than what   
my adoptive parents had assumed when I showed up at their doorstep   
at a young age. So, it turns out that Queen Beryl had wanted me   
killed by one of her minions named Jadeite. Upon realizing I was   
alive, she was of course intent upon killing me since I could have   
just as much or more magical power than my mother. Serenity called   
upon the services of a traveling witch who disguised me by turning   
me into a cat. This was nearly a decade ago."  
  
"No wonder you are so deft at being a cat. I am still so   
clumsy because I am not used to this body at all."  
  
Luna nodded. "I remember that clumsy stage. You will get   
used to the body in time," she reassured him.  
  
"What a relief to know," he said.  
  
"Now you know my story, so who wants cake?" she asked   
everyone.   
  
"Me!" a chorus of voices exclaimed.  
  
It was at the meeting on the Moon that the five best   
friends saw one another again. There was no doubt that things were   
not going well for any of them. Lita had circles under her eyes.   
Raye had bruises that she was unsuccessfully trying to hide. Serena   
and Amy both had red puffy eyes and tired slumped bodies. Well,   
except for Mina. Mina was her usual cheerful, bright self. She   
smiled at them all brightly. "Come on everyone. This is supposed to   
be fun, so let us all have fun!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Aww Mina," Princess Serena groaned.  
  
"Seriously," Lita said. "Let us just do something calming   
such as sleep?"  
  
"Well I do not know about sleep, but yes please something   
calming," Amy echoed in agreement.  
  
Raye nodded her head. "Yes. I am sorry, but your enthusiasm   
is not contagious Mina."  
  
"Oh all right," Mina said, plopping down on the ground and   
pouting. Serena put her arm around her best friend, and Mina smiled   
at her gratefully. "You all are really no fun," she sighed.  
  
"Sorry," Amy and Serena mumbled apologies.   
  
She smiled brightly. "No matter. I understand."  
  
Amy and Serena looked at each other and raised their   
eyebrows as did Lita and Raye, but no one said anything. They were   
each too occupied with her own thoughts and pain. Although there   
was not much talking, they all did hug and hold each other,   
enjoying the comfort they could all give to one another even if   
they could not yet talk about their lives. They each knew the   
others were there for her, and that brought them all an assurance   
that they were cared for and not so alone as they all felt inside.  
  
Princess Amara would be turning fourteen at this birthday   
celebration. She smiled as she opened the gift Princess Michelle   
had gotten her. The fourteenth birthday was when princesses   
officially began getting gifts for their birthday celebrations.   
Before turning fourteen, they were considered too young to   
"appreciate" any presents from anyone outside of the family that   
is. She smiled at the silky blue ribbon that Michelle had wrapped   
up the light blue box in. She took out the silver charm bracelet.   
There were many assorted charms on it: a key, a heart, a star, a   
few jewels, and a flower, but the most beautiful glowing sea blue   
circular jewel hung from the middle and had a variety of colors   
shining through it as one moved the bracelet and the light hit the   
jewel in a different way.   
  
"I know you do not like jewelry, but I thought it was   
perfect. It is special. Just like you," Michelle said, smiling and   
her eyes filled with an emotion Amara could not describe.  
  
Amara did not show much emotion on her face, but she had   
smiled as her eyes filled with the same emotion Michelle's   
conveyed though she did not know that. "It is special. Thank you   
Michelle."  
  
"Of course she likes it," King Alan interrupted.  
  
"What woman and princess for that matter would not like   
jewelry?" Queen Anita asked in astonishment. "What a ridiculous   
comment to make Michelle," she added.  
  
Michelle hid her disgust and smiled and nodded in   
agreement. Amara's face registered no emotion, but all the   
princesses and the cats and Prince Darien knew how much she hated   
convention, feminine gifts, being a princess, and her mother. She   
finished opening the rest of the gifts, and they all ate, danced,   
chatted, and mingled before returning to their respective planets.   
  
Princess Trista, Princess Michelle, Princess Amara, and   
Princess Hotaru met again not too much later for their annual   
meeting of course. A strange occurrence took place. Trista stood   
in front of them. "I have a feeling I am not the only one with   
powers," she said directly. "Am I wrong in this instinct?"  
  
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her   
in amazement. Hotaru looked down and said nothing. Amara looked   
into Trista's eyes in suspicion.  
  
Michelle finally stood up. "You are correct. I have   
powers," she said. She wisely did not speak for Amara, knowing that   
was Amara's decision.  
  
Amara smiled at Michelle in appreciation. "I have them   
too," she said standing up.  
  
"Me too," Hotaru whispered quietly. "I can heal myself."  
  
"That is great!" Amara exclaimed uncharacteristically. "I   
can demolish things with some kind of land/wind power.  
  
"I can demolish things with powers related to water and   
the ocean and sea," Michelle added.  
  
"Mine are confusing," Trista admitted. "Were the people in   
your visions better at explaining your powers?"  
  
"Visions?" they all asked in confusion.  
  
Trista looked up in surprise. "You three have not had any   
visions that told you about your powers?" she asked.  
  
Hotaru shook her head. "No," Amara and Michelle said.  
  
"Oh," Trista said.  
  
"Have you?" Michelle asked.  
  
"Well...I suppose it would be ridiculous now to say that I   
have not," Trista said.  
  
Amara chuckled. "True," she agreed.  
  
"Well, I do not know what my power is. It is supposed to   
be related to time, but she said I am not ready for that. She gave   
me this staff with a red ball in the middle of it, and I am   
supposed to use it to channel my other powers whatever they are,"   
she explained.  
  
"You have more than one power? How neat," Michelle said.  
  
"Yes I am jealous," Amara said, raising one eyebrow in a   
teasing manner.  
  
They all laughed. "Well, perhaps we should all train   
together," Michelle suggested.  
  
"Yes Michelle and I have been," Amara admitted. "It helps.   
Maybe it would help you find your power Trista?"  
  
Trista nodded. "Good idea. Thank you," she said.  
  
"Hmm...would not help me much," Hotaru admitted.  
  
"Well if any of us get hurt, we know we have you to heal   
us," Michelle said helpfully.  
  
Hotaru nodded. "Thank you."  
  
"That is right small one. We are here for you," Trista   
promised.  
  
"Yes, do not worry. You always have us as friends," Amara   
added.  
  
Hotaru smiled. "Really? Thank you all. It means so much to   
me."  
  
Princess Michelle quietly prepared for her fourteenth   
birthday celebration. She wrapped her hair up around the clip and   
let a few wavy strands fall in front of her face. *If this does   
not get Amara to notice me, I do not know what will.* She looked   
in the mirror and touched up her already flawless makeup, but for   
Michelle it never looked perfect enough. She had to look just   
right and act just right to play the game her parents and society   
had forced her into. She would be polite. She would follow   
conventions. She would do everything perfectly and according to   
the proper way, but underneath her perfect mask, she was just   
another Neptunian. Just another lonely, miserable, hurting, lost   
being. She closed her eyes briefly and allowed one tear to slip   
out of her eye before she brushed it back. *Yes, all the  
princesses were forced into this façade,* she realized. She would   
do it. She would play their game, but she would never feel it   
inside. She knew Amara never would either. She understood Amara   
so well, and Amara understood her so well. They saw beyond one   
another's façades. Neither one of them had wanted this façade.   
They had both tried to be true to themselves, but they were   
forced into it. No matter. When they were with one another they   
could always be themselves, and they always had that reassurance   
that no matter what they both understood the real person   
underneath the façade. She smiled briefly and began to get quite   
excited to see Amara again, but she hid that behind her calm,   
dignified mask and walked gracefully into the room.  
  
After the celebration, Princess Amara lingered behind to   
talk with Michelle for a little while. She was wearing the charm   
bracelet Michelle had gotten her over a month ago for her   
birthday. Michelle smiled. "You wore it," she said softly.  
  
Amara nodded. She did not have to say anything. The two   
never needed words or even facial expressions much. They felt   
each other inside their souls. They knew inside what the other   
was feeling and going through. They were connected for always.   
Michelle smiled and put her hands instinctively in Amara's silky   
blonde hair. She ran her fingers through it just as she had done   
so many times in her dreams. She took her hand away in horror. *I   
did not really do that did I? I cannot believe I did that. What   
will she think?* she thought in horror. But she looked at Amara's   
closed eyes and content smile and could see that Amara had wanted   
that as badly as she had wanted to do it. Amara slowly opened her   
gorgeous deep green and blue shining eyes, and Michelle gasped.   
"I love you," she whispered softly.  
  
Amara's eyes shot open the rest of the way in surprise.   
"What?" she asked sharply.  
  
"I said...I said...nothing. I am sorry. I did not say   
anything," Michelle said. *Oh please say she did not hear that. I   
cannot believe I just told her how I feel about her.*  
  
"No...you said something. Did you say you loved me? Do   
you mean that?" Amara asked sharply.  
  
Michelle sighed. It was no use lying to Amara now. "Yes I   
do, with all my heart," she said.  
  
Amara's mouth gaped open. "I cannot believe this. How   
could you ruin our close friendship like this?"  
  
Tears began to come to Michelle's eyes, but she tried to   
stand strong. She suppressed them. "Amara...I...I..." *God I   
never stutter. Stop stuttering Michelle,* she harshly ordered   
herself in her mind. "I did not ruin anything," she said   
desperately. She forced herself to appear calm. "I mean if you do   
not feel the same way I would never push anything on you. We will   
just be friends again like before," she promised.  
  
"Are you joking?" Amara asked coldly. She shook her head,   
her mouth curled upwards in disgust. "You are sick Michelle. I   
could never be friends with you knowing how you feel now. We are   
both women," she said in disgust. "I cannot even stand to see   
your face anymore. I refuse to be near you except at social   
functions where we are both required to be, and then I want you   
to stay as far away from me as possible. Do you understand?"  
  
Michelle gasped, her heart breaking inside. Her soul   
shattered into a million pieces. "Please Amara...do not do this,"   
she begged. Michelle never begged, but this time she did. Her   
whole self dying inside as her heart plummeted.  
  
Amara's eyes remained cold. "I cannot believe you are   
begging. Get back some of your dignity Michelle and calm down.   
This is not anything major. I just cannot stand to see you now.   
We have other friends. I am sorry if I am hurting you, but this   
is the way it has to be. I cannot be around someone with such a   
twisted mind." Amara turned around and left.  
  
Michelle's drooped heart seeped out of her body and lay   
lifeless on the cold floor. Michelle ran back to her room, crying  
hysterically.   
  
To Be Continued... 


	5. Relationships

Chapter Four, Relationships:  
  
She looked in the mirror once more before plastering a smile   
on her face and exiting the room for her twelfth birthday celebration.  
Her long light blue dress was swishing behind her. As she entered the   
ballroom, she kept that big friendly smile on her face.   
  
Princess Raye approached her in a silky long red dress that   
glimmered. "Happy Birthday Serena," she said kindly.  
  
"Thank you," Princess Serena said gratefully. "How are you   
doing?" she asked Raye in concern.  
  
Raye shrugged her shoulders and pulled Serena over to the   
left wall with her. "This is Your day Serena...How are you?" she   
asked, smiling and changing the subject.  
  
Serena smiled back. *Both of us are putting on that façade,*   
she realized. She responded that she was doing really well, but she  
tried to discreetly look over Raye's body. She did not see any   
bruises, but the dress was long with long, shimmery sleeves. She felt  
that was for a purpose.   
  
If Raye noticed Serena looking over her body, she did not   
comment. They continued to smile fakely and speak about the usual   
boring, useless, necessary, unimportant subjects. Princess Amy walked   
over to them with Princess Michelle. Princess Amy was wearing a dark   
blue dress that went down a bit past her knees and a blue butterfly   
clip in her now short hair. Serena gasped. *Her hair does look so   
different but good,* she thought. Princess Michelle was wearing a   
long shimmering silky black dress that went long past her feet.   
Serena immediately began looking around the room. *I suppose Amara   
must not have arrived yet.* However, Princess Amara was indeed over   
in the back of the ballroom talking with Princess Hotaru and Princess   
Trista. She looked in shock at Princess Michelle again. Then she   
glanced at Raye. Raye also appeared surprised. "Strange," she mumbled.   
Serena nodded her head in agreement though they both plastered their   
smiles back on their faces and greeted Michelle and Amy politely as   
they approached nearer. They politely greeted the two back as   
Princess Mina entered. "Nice hair," Raye said to Amy.   
  
Amy smiled. "Thank you," she said in appreciation.  
  
"Yes, it is beautiful," Serena agreed.   
  
"Oh thank you Serena," she responded.  
  
Princess Mina was late. Usually King Michael and Queen Miriam   
came early to talk with her mother. *Is it actually possible they are   
not getting along with my mother?* Serenity thought briefly in   
confusion. *That cannot be possible. They are so close.* At least now   
she knew why Mina had not come into her bedchamber to help her get   
ready before the ball.   
  
Princess Mina bounced over gracefully to the group and   
smiled at them all brightly. "How is everyone?" she asked.  
  
"Fine," they all responded mechanically.  
  
She nodded and began babbling. Serena and Raye and Amy sighed.   
Michelle looked at them in surprise. They were used to this façade   
with Mina, and they were all close enough to Mina to know it was a   
façade though she had never directly said so. They were getting  
a bit tired and frustrated with it. They all had façades too, but   
none of them took it this far. Serena forced a smile on her face   
though. So did Amy. Raye was not so successful. She barely managed   
not to turn bright red from the urge to yell at Mina to stop faking   
such constant sunshine happiness. *It is getting beyond irritating,*   
Serena thought in exasperation.  
  
They were saved from her constant chattering by Princess Lita   
coming in. Serena did not say anything, but Princess Lita had been  
coming to so many of the recent events late and was almost always   
last besides the sometimes really late Princess Hotaru. She   
wondered what caused this. She felt worried for Lita.  
  
"Hello Lita," Amy said politely.  
  
"Hello," she said shortly, obviously lost in her own world   
and wanting to keep to herself. They all considerately did not   
question her because they knew by now she preferred to be left   
alone. Although Michelle did not know her as well, she was perceptive   
enough to catch on and not say anything to Lita. They all smiled at   
her some though, and Serena wished so much that she could hug her   
close. Lita did not say anything, but she smiled back a few times to   
show her appreciation for their concern. Serena looked up and down   
her body as discreeetly as possible, but as with Raye, she saw   
nothing. Lita was wearing a long light purple dress with sequins on   
it and long sleeves.   
  
Prince Darien walked up after awhile. "Well hello. Happy   
birthday Serena," he said shortly. "I had to say that," he added   
bitterly.  
  
"Well do not bother. You can lie to your mother and say you   
told me that anytime. I will cover for you just for the happiness I   
get from you being out of my sight," Serena said angrily, her eyes   
flashing.  
  
His small lips curved up into a mocking smile. "Very well,"   
he bowed, once again mocking her.   
  
"Ha, ha. Very funny. You should be a comedian. Everyone   
would laugh at your face," she spat out at him.  
  
"I am not the one with the funny face," he commented darkly,   
walking off.  
  
The others looked at each other, eyebrows raised, as Serena   
seethed with rage.  
  
"Someone likes someone," Mina teased. "Believe me. I know   
these things."  
  
"No way! You are crazy," Serena said, turning bright red.  
  
"I do not know. She has a point Serena," Lita agreed.  
  
"Yes, you are always turning bright red when we mention him,"   
Amy added.  
  
"Not you too," Serena groaned.  
  
"Count me in. There is some definite hidden chemistry between   
you two," Raye said.  
  
Serena scoffed at the idea.  
  
The ceremony was long and torturous to them all, and when it   
was over Serena was disappointed to see Lita leave immediately  
thus preventing her from speaking to the brown haired princess. She   
had asked Mina if she could stay after and talk though, and Mina said  
she could. So, Serena first spoke to Raye. She also noticed that   
Amara left immediately without even glancing at Michelle. Michelle   
said nothing, but a sad look passed briefly over her face as she   
watched Amara leave.   
  
"Raye, are you honestly all right?"  
  
"Yes, my father only gave me a light beating last night   
since I have not done anything wrong lately. Just as a warning to   
prevent future troubles I might cause or get into."  
  
"Oh Raye, you do not deserve that." She embraced Raye gently,   
and Raye closed her eyes and enjoyed the affectionate, kind display of  
affection from the first person to show her a kind, safe, good touch.   
  
"You know my mother would fight to save you I am sure if you   
just told her and I helped push it," Serena said honestly. "We could   
try at least?" she asked pleadingly.   
  
Raye looked in Serena's eyes, tears forming in her own eyes.   
"I cannot do that Serena. I am sorry," she said. "Listen," she added,  
changing the subject quickly. "I am worried about Lita though. I saw   
a bruise on her left arm. It was hard to see, but when her sleeve  
went up at one point I saw it."  
  
"Oh no," Serena said. "I was worried about her too, but she   
has never told us about it. The rest of us have spoken some. Well,   
except for Mina, who we know has spoken to my mother."  
  
"We need to get her to open up. I know how hard it is behind   
that barrier. Even if only to us," Raye said passionately.  
  
"Yes," Serena agreed.   
  
"I have to go. Until next time," Raye said sadly. "Take care   
Serena."  
  
Serena touched her shoulder gently. "You too please Raye."  
  
Raye nodded. "I will try," she said, exiting.  
  
Princess Serena walked into her bedchamber and sat down with   
Princess Mina. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Why did you parents  
not bring you early?"  
  
Mina shook her head. "I am not sure. I missed you so much. I   
think that something happened among my parents and your mother, but  
I do not know what. I heard my mother saying something about your   
mother turning on her, and my father was consoling her."  
  
"Hmm...my mother has not said anything about this. She   
usually talks to me about things." Then the thought struck her. Her   
eyes opened wide in fear. "Oh no, what if they continue this? How   
will we see one another?" Serena asked desperately.   
  
"I do not know," Mina said, but then she smiled. "Oh well,   
no matter. It will all work out. We will find a way. I am sure they  
will make up anyway," she said, a huge bright smile covering her   
face like a mask.  
  
Serena sighed and averted her sad eyes.  
  
"What is it?" Mina finally asked a few minutes later.  
  
"It is just...at the royal functions it is one thing, but to   
do it around your close friends and then even when we are alone you   
do it."  
  
"Do what?" Mina asked innocently.  
  
"Your happy act," Serena said. "You can be yourself with me."  
  
Tears filled Mina's eyes before she could stop them. She hung   
her head. "I...oh Serena I should have known," she cried, hugging   
Serena close. "I am sorry. I just...I...it is still so hard. Why? It   
is over. Why is it still so hard?" She began to sob, moving away  
from Serena when Serena moved closer to wrap her arms around Mina.  
  
"Oh Mina," Serena said softly. "I wish I could...I do not   
know what to say. I am so sorry. I just wish I knew how to make it   
all better for you."  
  
"It never goes away," Mina screamed, tears flowing freely   
from her eyes and sobs wracking her body. This time she allowed   
Serena to hold her.   
  
Queen Serenity walked in and caught her breath. Her eyes   
filled with deep understanding. "Oh Mina," she whispered sadly. She   
sat down by them and held them both, rocking them back and forth,   
back and forth comfortingly.  
  
Queen Miriam's head poked through the doorway, but no one   
saw her. The three of them continued to rock for several minutes as  
Miriam silently stood, watching her daughter's deep neverending pain.   
The pain she had never seen. The pain she had never stopped. Her  
heart nearly stopped at this sight and those thoughts. Overwhelming   
guilt overtook her body, and she fell to the floor sobbing. King   
Michael walked in and gasped at the sight of both his daughter and   
his wife sobbing hysterically. Serenity stopped rocking with them   
as she looked at Miriam and then Michael silently. Serena looked at   
them too, and Mina tried to be quiet as she looked down at the floor   
silently.   
  
Serenity's eyes locked with Miriam's. Miriam stood up   
shakily and nodded at Serenity. "You were right Serenity," she   
gasped. "You were so right," and she began sobbing.  
  
Queen Serenity's eyes filled with compassion, but this time   
she did not move towards her friend. She stayed with Mina, her arm   
comfortingly around the child.   
  
King Michael's eyes grew wide as he looked at his wife in   
astonishment. "What are you saying Miriam?"  
  
Miriam's tear-filled eyes turned to his. Desperation, regret,   
and intense guilt filled her voice. "We failed Michael. Do you hear   
me??? We FAILED. WE FAILED."  
  
Tears came to his eyes as he held her close. "Honey, you do   
not know what you are saying." He held her close and tried to soothe  
her with his calm voice.  
  
"NO. STOP IT!" she screamed.   
  
Again his eyes grew wide in astonishment. "Honey, you really  
have to calm down. It is all right, all right," he said soothingly.  
  
She backed away and folded her arms over her chest.   
STOP IT!" she screamed. He gasped. "Stop making excuses. we have to   
stop making so many freaking excuses. We have to stop trying to deny   
or minimize what we did to her."  
  
"Honey, you are hysterical. We did not do anything. Those   
guards are responsible."  
  
"Yes and no," Queen Serenity interrupted. "But mostly no."  
  
"Stay out of this Serenity," he said angrily.  
  
"No," Miriam said. "She knows. She is a good mother. I want   
to hear what she has to say."  
  
"You are good mother too Miriam," Michael reassured her.  
  
Miriam shook her head vigorously. "No. I am not, and you are   
not a good father."  
  
"Miriam stop this."  
  
"You stop. Listen to yourself Michael. Our daughter was in   
deep pain for eleven years. Have you ever questioned where the heck   
we were those years?"  
  
"They did it, not us."  
  
"We may not have done it, but as parents we have a   
responsibility. A responsibility to keep our child safe and   
healthy."  
  
"And we met that responsibility. As soon as we found out   
those jerks were fired and jailed for life."  
  
"So that took away your guilt?" Miriam asked. "You jailed   
them, so your guilt went away right?"  
  
Michael paused. He looked away. "No," he reluctantly   
admitted. "No...it did not."  
  
Miram nodded her head. "Exactly."  
  
"We could not have done anymore though Miriam."  
  
"That is where you are dead wrong," Serenity interrupted.  
  
Miriam nodded her head. "We could have. How did we not notice   
signs? There were signs. I saw them. I am sure you did too. We denied  
them, attributed them to other things, and so on, but we never   
bothered to try to figure out where this came from. We never even   
talked to our daughter about her quietness and her fears."  
  
"They could have been ordinary fears for all we knew. Children   
fear so much sometimes," Michael said defensively.  
  
"Put down your defenses Michael," Miriam said. "For our   
daughter's sake put down your defenses as I have just done.   
Realize that our daughter's life has been destroyed for eleven   
years, and we never did anything about it."  
  
"The fears could have been ordinary," he said weakly.  
  
Serenity interrupted again. "Could being the operative word   
here Michael. You never bothered to find out whether or not they   
were."  
  
"We could not make her tell us."  
  
"No," Serenity agreed. "You could have figured it out   
possibly or at least tried. At least shown concern in your daughter's   
actions, behaviors, and feelings. In her life. Have you not ever   
questioned most of all why she could not come to you?" Serenity   
asked.  
  
Tears formed in Michael's eyes. "Why?" he asked Mina quietly,   
desperation lining his voice  
  
Mina looked away. "Oh Mina, I am so sorry. I failed you as a   
mother. You deserve so much better. Please give me another chance,"   
Miriam begged, down on her knees. "I will put you first from now on.   
You are my child, and you can come to me with anything. You are so  
wonderful. I am so sorry I let you down."  
  
Mina looked at her, tears in her eyes.  
  
Serenity shook her head. "No Miriam. That is not for her to   
decide now."  
  
"What?" Miriam asked, her watery, confused eyes looking into   
Serenity's wise, understanding eyes.   
  
"She cannot decide as a child. Let her make that decision   
when she is old enough to have some more experience in life and a  
deeper understanding of what this all means. She deserves to be able   
to make the best decision for her."  
  
"Until then?" Miriam asked.  
  
"Until then be that mother you just described. The mother   
all children deserve. The mother you should have always been."  
  
Miriam nodded sadly. "Yes, you are right Serenity." She   
looked sadly at her husband. "Will you be that father?" she asked   
in a pleading voice.  
  
Michael looked at her. "I do not know. I am not sure I   
completely understand this or what kind of father to be or how to   
be that kind of father."  
  
"I will help you. Serenity will help us."  
  
Serenity nodded. "I will."  
  
"Do you understand that we failed our child? A person's   
life has been forever destroyed. Nothing we can do can ever take   
it back though. We must live with the fact that we could have   
probably prevented it or stopped it much much sooner for the rest   
of our lives," Miriam explained passionately.  
  
Michael nodded his head sadly. "I understand. Mina, I am   
so sorry," he said.  
  
"Please, it is my fault," Mina said quietly.  
  
"Oh no precious," Serenity said.  
  
Miriam sat beside her and reached out her arms as Mina   
fell into them and was rocked back and forth. "I am so sorry. I   
am here for you. I am so sorry. I wish I could go back in time   
and be the mother to you that you deserve." She smoothed Mina's   
hair gently and smiled a bit at her. "You deserve so much better   
parents. We are here for you now though. Always you are safe now,   
and if you ever are not, you can always come to us. You are our   
first priority."  
  
"That is right," Michael agreed, wisely keeping his   
distance to give his frightened daughter space.  
  
Mina snuggled into her mother's embrace and closed her   
eyes.   
Amy closed her eyes briefly and opened them again,   
yawning. She was very tired. Never enough time in the day, and   
consequently much of her reading took place at night. Thus the   
lack of sleep and the subsequent tired body and mind. Thus the   
yawn. She stood up and stretched for her half hour break from   
the day's lessons. She looked outside at the beautiful sky. One   
of the few days it was not so dreary and grey outside. She should   
be enjoying it, but no she was stuck inside learning her lessons.   
She walked outside, filled with the awe of nature. Amy did not   
feel much anymore. She was not really present in this world. She   
existed in her world of books, but every once in awhile when she   
went outside like this, she would look around at all of nature   
and the bright sunshine and feel this sense of fullness and awe   
inside. It amazed her. The way nature could go on looking so   
beautiful while people on this planet and so many other planets   
were continually suffering. She began to spin around, the colors   
blurring around her. She smiled and tilted her head towards  
the sky, spinning faster and faster.   
  
She screamed as she was thrown on the ground. Her   
father pulled her back up by the collar of her dress which was   
now torn up. "LOOK AT THIS DRESS!" he screamed angrily. "IT IS   
FILTHY. FILTHY JUST LIKE YOU." He spat in her face. She moved   
her hand to wipe the spit out of her face. "You ungrateful brat,"   
he sneered. "How dare you defy me like that." He spun her around   
so her back was facing him, and he pinned her arms behind her   
back with one of his large arms as he threw her back down on the   
ground on her face. He got down on top of her. She did not   
struggle. She knew it was useless. He forced her to turn around   
and spat in her face again. Her arms pinned underneath her body   
so that she could not wipe it off her face again. "That will   
teach you to go against your own father," he told her, smiling   
in satisfaction. He got up and left her alone on the ground to   
cry. She was empty of tears though as she stared blankly at the   
floor and wished for death to take her away from this life.  
  
"WORLD SHAKING!!!" she screamed as the golden light shot   
out of her hand and decimated all the nearby trees. She sat down   
in exhaustion and smiled in relief and satisfaction. She had   
been out here practicing for quite a long time now. Similar to   
the relief she felt from exerting herself to the point of   
exhaustion while running, she got relief from pouring all her   
pains, anxiety, fear, and anger into her powers thus destroying   
everything in the way. It gave her immense relief and   
satisfaction. She needed that desperately right now. She  
closed her eyes as she lay down in the grass, gasping to catch   
her breath. She had forced herself not to think about Michelle   
all these months, but now Michelle's sweet voice, wavy hair,   
deep eyes, and curvy body all stood out in her mind taunting   
her. She sighed. *I do not feel anything more than friendship   
for her,* she reassured herself silently. *Right,* another part   
of her said. *The same way you feel friendship for Trista,   
Hotaru, and the other princesses.* She sighed. *All right so we   
had a closer friendship. We were best friends,* she admitted to   
herself. *Think of the last time you remember feeling even   
close to as attracted to a male as you feel to Michelle.* She   
was silent even inside. She could not think of such a time.  
  
She followed her mother silently around the palace as   
her mother went around attempting to get her duties of the day   
done. She tried to keep to herself and not disturb her mother,   
but she was feeling very alone as always and really needed   
some attention. Not to mention feeling the hollow pit in her   
stomach from not eating in three days. Her throat was scratchy   
and dry. She could not remember the last time she had a glass   
to drink, but it had been at least a day. She quietly pulled   
just a little on her mother's long green dress. She looked up  
so much to her mother. She wished her mother wanted to be   
around her sometimes. She would try harder she promised herself   
for the thousandeth time that day. If she tried harder, her   
mother would love her. She just was not good enough yet. She   
pulled a bit more insisently on her mother's velvet green   
dress. Her mother gave a loud, overdramatic sigh and turned to   
her daughter. "Hotaru please leave me alone. I am trying  
to get work done, and as usual you are in the way. Go find   
something to do." Hotaru hung her head and walked off in   
dejection.   
  
"PRINCE DARIEN, GET IN HERE!" his mother screamed   
angrily. Prince Darien sighed and stopped petting his favorite   
horse as he ran to the gate of the palace where his mother was   
standing. She was clearly very upset. "What are you doing?"   
she asked sharply.  
  
"Nothing," he mumbled.   
  
She sighed loudly. "That is the problem. Absolutely   
nothing." He kept his face a complete mask. *I was just   
enjoying nature and petting my wonderful horse, but I guess   
you would not know anything about kindness or friendship or   
the beauty of nature would you mother?* he thought bitterly.   
"You need to be training." *Little do you know the time I   
do spend training wih swords and various weapons for combat,*  
he thought to himself. "You are the most difficult child."   
She sighed as though to emphasize how much energy he drained   
out of her. "I swear, your father and I do the best we can   
with you Darien. Now you need to take responsibility for your   
actions and act more properly as the Prince of Earth. We   
cannot have you ruining our image." He nodded mutely. *Oh,   
no cannot have your image ruined,* he thought bitterly. *How  
about family and the love of your child? I guess image is all   
that is important to you mother and father.*  
  
She sat outside alone, her bare feet dangling   
carelessly in the cool stream. She sighed and closed her eyes   
to feel the cool tingling sensation of the smooth running   
water. She had barely managed to outwit Luna. She knew Luna   
meant well, but she never gave her a moment alone. The   
constant nagging, constant lectures, and constant instruction   
from the cat was wearing on her nerves. She never seemed to   
get a moment to herself anymore, and she desperately needed   
one. She clung onto this moment desperately, knowing the cat   
would find her at any moment. She was right. "Princess   
Serena!" Luna exclaimed upon finding her. "I have been   
searching everywhere for you."  
  
Serena sighed. "I know."  
  
"Were you trying to hide from me again? You know you   
have princess..."  
  
Serena interrupted her. "I know princess duties and   
obligations."  
  
"That is right," Luna said, nodding her head in   
agreement.  
  
"Yes, I know," Serena said tiredly. She stood up and   
walked back to the palace with Luna reluctantly.  
  
She was painting absent-mindedly as she stared at the   
wall next to her. It was not that long ago that she would   
have been training to get her destructive sea powers under   
control yet more powerful. She sighed in sorrow. *How can I   
practice with my power any longer knowing that I will never   
again practice with you my love?* she wondered sadly. She   
looked over to the sketch she had drawn while looking  
away. A crude drawing of Amara's face and wind-blown hair   
stared back at her. Tears filled her eyes as she desperately   
rolled it into a ball and then began tearing it up. *I   
promised myself no more crying,* she thought desperately,   
but she failed as the tears streamed down her face once   
again for perhaps the twentieth time that week.   
  
She jumped as she heard creaks coming up the stairs,   
but the sounds continued past her door and down the hall.   
She exhaled and lay back down in bed. It had been a few   
years since her mother had come into her room, but she still   
was on high alert at night. *I guess mother  
is not interested in me now that I am older,* she thought   
bitterly. Her whole body froze then shivered from the   
memories of that terror that had begun at such a young age.   
She could not even remember how old she was the first time   
her mother had quietly entered her room, shut the door, and  
locked the door. She lay down beside her daughter in bed   
and rubbed her hands up and down her daughter's body. She   
rubbed her head under Trista's neck. "How is that darling?"   
she asked quietly, whispering into her daughter's ear.   
Trista's whole body would tense up. "Shh, it is  
all right. Relax. Let me do this. It feels good. I promise,"   
her mother lied as her hand went up Trista's nightgown and   
she began putting her fingers in her daughter's body.   
Trista whimpered. "It is all right. Shhh," her mother said   
quietly then kept putting more and more fingers inside.   
Trista squirmed but her mother's hand was in front of her   
chest, stopping her. She then put her finger in Trista's   
butt. Tears came out of Trista's eyes. "Shh...you will   
learn to like it," her mother promised. She pulled Trista's   
nightgown off and began licking her chest. "You will have   
breasts there someday just like me," her mother promised.   
"Want to see?" she asked. "Want to see?" she asked again   
louder and with more force. Trista nodded mutely so as   
not to upset her already terrifying mother. She put her   
breasts in Trista's mouth. Trista sucked on them as her   
mother instructed her to do, but she left her body and   
escaped to that world that she began creating. Thus the   
terror began and her world was created. Trista escaped to   
that world now. It was the only way she would ever be able   
to fall asleep. She never slept much at night. The night   
reminded her too much of those nights with her mother. She   
felt so tired during the day, and she wished she could sleep   
then. But that was against protocol of course.  
  
"Come here sweetheart," he said softly, a smile on   
his face. She walked to him slowly, fear gripping her   
small body. "It is all right. I will not hurt you," he   
lied. She came up to him, and he picked her up and placed   
her on his lap. You have the most beautiful blonde hair,"   
he said, his breath hot against her ear. She squirmed, but   
he held her tighter and kissed her cheek. Then his mouth   
was on hers as his tongue found its way deep into her   
mouth. She whimpered, and he was kissing her neck with ragged   
breaths. He laid her down on the couch as he unbuttoned his   
pants. "You know what this is?" he asked. She shook her   
head, trembling from fear. He told her to open her mouth,   
and she obeyed silently as he stuck it in her mouth. She   
began to choke, but he just pushed it in her mouth deeper.   
"Suck on it," he ordered. He was sitting on her chest and   
she could barely breathe, but if she squirmed he would   
smile in that way of his and tell her how much it  
turned him on. She woke up screaming, sweat pouring down her   
body. "NOOOO!" she screamed, shaking from the fear and   
terror. Artemis jumped up on her bed and purred softly as   
he tried to comfort her. Her dull eyes began to see again,   
and her gasping breath was calmed as she took deep breaths   
at the request of Artemis. He sat down beside her. "I am   
right here. No one can hurt you," he promised, his eyes   
shining with love and protectiveness for her. She nodded   
and silently lay back down as she petted him.  
  
She stared blankly at the wall as she heard the   
loud sounds begin yet again. She cringed in her bed. She   
hated these sounds. "You good for nothing bitch!" King   
Lester yelled at Queen Lily. "I swear you are the most   
worthless piece of junk. Why did I ever marry you?" he  
asked. "Answer me??" She could imagine his hand around   
her mother's neck, choking her mother. She cringed again   
as she stared at the wall, her breath caught in her throat   
as a whimper escaped her small mouth.   
  
"Please I am sorry," Lily said quietly. All was   
silent for awhile then Lita heard her mother scream and the   
loud impact of something hitting her mother. She heard all   
the banging as her father was probably throwing her into   
things and/or throwing things at her. Lita lay in  
bed very still and put her hands over her ears desperately,   
tears streaming from her eyes. *Stop hurting mommy. Stop   
hurting mommy,* she begged in her mind as she tossed and   
turned in bed, her hands over her ears. *I cannot stand   
the sound anymore...* she thought desperately.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	6. A Larger Destiny

Chapter Five, A Larger Destiny:  
  
"Mina, what could I possibly get Darien for his 14th   
birthday celebration?" Serena asked. "I want it to be something   
wonderful. Something thoughtful that shows how much I care for   
him, yet does not go so far as to give away my deep feelings for   
him." When Mina had directly told Serena that she could feel her   
love for Darien, Serena had admitted it to Mina but sworn her   
to secrecy about it.   
  
"I am not sure Serena, but you know I am the princess   
of love. I feel his love for you as well. It is just as deep   
and strong. Perhaps he should know that you feel the same way   
too."  
  
Serena shook her head. "As much as I believe in your   
love senses, and as much as I want Darien to know, I cannot risk   
losing him."  
  
"Serena," Mina said. "If you never tell him then you   
have lost him."  
  
"No," Serena responded. "I have lost any chance to be   
with him in a romantic way, but not any chance for friendship   
To me friendship is better than nothing."  
  
"I am not wrong. He loves you Serena."  
  
"Then why is he always so distant? Why does he always   
avoid me or make some cutting remark to me?"  
  
"He is distant with everyone Serena. He hurts inside."  
  
"I know. I can feel his hurt," Serena said.  
  
"He avoids you and makes cutting remarks because he is   
in denial about his love for you. He is trying to convince   
himself any way that he can that he does not love you."  
  
"Well there you go. He does not Want to love me. He   
does not want these feelings. I do," Serena said softly.  
  
"He does want them. Deep down he wants them Serena,   
but he thinks he does not want them because he is scared. He   
is terrified to get close to anyone."  
  
"He thinks I am too young and naive."  
  
"Perhaps, but you can show him the truth."  
  
"He will never let me in."  
  
"You do not know that until you try."  
  
"What if he does not let me in though?" Serena asked   
fearfully.  
  
"Then you at least know that you were there for him and   
that you made your feelings and love known. You will know it was   
his choice and mistake if he gives up on his one chance for true   
love."  
  
"And I will be miserable and alone."  
  
"What do you think you will be if you never tell him? If   
you do not tell him, you do not even stand a chance."  
  
Serena sighed. "You are right. I know you are right, but   
I am so scared Mina."  
  
"I know you are. I am right here," Mina promised,   
embracing her gently.  
  
His feet planted firmly on the ground, he swung his   
sword through the air with determination and ease. His eyes   
narrowed and his mouth set in concentration. He expertly moved   
the sword. His eyes shooting everywhere to keep up with his   
feet and hands. He was battling an imaginary opponent, and he   
was winning.  
  
"Prince Darien!" his mother exclaimed. "What in the   
world are you doing out here?"   
  
His father came to the doorway, and Darien dropped his   
sword on the floor. "Practicing with swords? Training like a   
guard??" his father asked angrily. His face turning red as he   
grabbed his son's arm. "Get into the palace and get dressed for   
your birthday celebration in a few hours. If it was not so soon,   
I would cancel it."  
  
"You are in big trouble after this celebration is over   
Darien," his mother said angrily.  
  
"That is right. Do not ever come near this room again.   
Do you understand? Your place is at meetings, dinners, and   
balls, not in some training room," his father said harshly.   
  
Darien ran upstairs, keeping the tears down, anger and   
hurt rising in his whole body. He shut down and became numb to   
the feelings to force himself through another boring royal   
function. *Turning 14, and I wish I was turning 84 so that I   
could be buried,* he thought in misery.   
  
The day came and went. It was a slow torturous night.   
*It is finally over,* Darien thought in relief. As he lay down   
in bed, he cast his mind back over the day's events. One moment   
stood out in his mind. *He opened Serena's gift. It was a   
beautifully decorated journal. "To write your thoughts in," she   
had said. "I know so much goes on in there," she added,   
pointing to his heart. He had tried not to show any emotion but   
inside his heart had stopped. *Had she noticed that?* Her eyes   
had gazed into his with compassion and...something else that he  
could not pinpoint. His eyes shone with the same emotions and   
reflected in her light blue ones. Something about her calmed   
his soul and brought joy to his heart. He sighed and tried to   
force the image out of his mind as he finally fell asleep that   
night.   
  
His large sweaty body covered her small one as he moved   
his body up and down on top of hers. He groaned as he forced   
himself into her, and she whimpered in the back of her throat.   
She was lying on her stomach. *Cannot move. Cannot breathe.* If   
she struggled he would moan and tell her to keep it up, so she   
lay very still while he finished. Her whole world shattered yet   
again. Her whole body sore as she slowly moved to clean out her   
blood red underwear.   
  
Princess Mina gasped as she shot up in bed. Artemis was   
awake and by her side immediately. "Another nightmare?" he asked   
gently.  
  
She nodded, her eyes dull from the pain.  
  
He purred and sat next to her as she petted him slowly.   
"You are safe now Mina, safe. It is over Mina. You are safe,   
safe," Artemis repeated gently.   
  
She rocked back and forth to calm and ground herself.   
*His hands all over my body. I can feel his dirtiness, his   
darkness crawling into me.* She shuddered and ran out onto the   
balcony. She wanted to scream but nothing would come out. Her   
whole body full of the screaming fear but only a whimper would   
escape her lips. She fell down to the cold ground, her eyes dull   
as she left her body and rocked back and forth through her deep   
pain. Power rose within her, and when she finally stood up and   
let out a huge scream, a blinding yellow light shot out of her   
body and destroyed the railing of the balcony and all the   
gardens outside this side of the palace. When she was done,   
unaware of the reality, she fell to the ground panting and   
exhausted as she crawled back into bed and fell asleep.  
  
Artemis' mouth was gaping open in shock.  
  
Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Her eyes   
flashed, and the sword she was using glinted as she twirled it   
in her hand. She took her favorite stance and began swinging the   
sword expertly, her mouth set in a straight line of   
concentration. She gripped her sword more tightly as it sliced   
through the air. The image of wavy sea blue hair blowing in the   
breeze and sad deep blue eyes imprinted in her mind. Amara could   
see her standing, dignified, with her hands folded together in   
front of her flowing dress. *Oh Michelle, why did I say those  
horrible things to you? It cannot be real. We are both women. We   
cannot possibly be in love, but how many times has my heart   
raced at merely the thought of you coming in the room? How many   
times have I imagined lying next to you? We are just best   
friends. That is all we can be, but if I have mistaken it so   
often for love, it only makes sense that you would have done the   
same. I should never have blamed you. I should never have been   
so hard on you. All I wish for is to have your cool hands   
intertwined with mine once again, your beautiful eyes looking   
into my soul, and your body next to mine.* Her feet firmly   
planted on the floor, she took a defensive stance and   
protectively put the sword up in front of her face. She swung   
again, jumping back and up in the air as she imagined her   
opponent swinging a sword at her. She stopped for a minute and   
wiped her sweaty forehead. She took deep breaths slowly. *Who am   
I kidding? I do not know what love is, but I do know that there   
is no one else in the world that I could ever possibly spend the   
rest of my life with. No one else who knows my inner soul, and   
no one else I would lay beside through the nights. No one else   
whom I would want running his or her hands through my hair. I   
only want to be with her. I only feel warm and safe and cared   
for with her. There is no one else. Oh Michelle can you ever   
forgive me? I just want to be near you.* When she felt tears   
coming to her eyes, she furrowed her eyebrows angrily at   
herself. *No crying Amara. Let it out through anger instead.*   
She sliced her sword again through the air expertly. Her focus   
on the sword fighting was so strong that she did not hear the   
approaching footsteps or the opening of the door.   
  
"Amara!" the woman screamed. Amara turned around and   
froze. Her mother was standing in the doorway. "Princess Amara!   
What are you doing?" her mother demanded angrily. Amara ran her   
hands through her dark blonde hair nervously. "Fighting? I Knew   
there was something wrong with you. Since the moment you were   
born you have been nothing but abnormal. Nothing but trouble,"   
her mother said in anger. Amara's eyes narrowed as her teeth   
clenched. "I was looking for the top guard and I find you in   
here with swords. Tell me this is your first time," her  
mother pleaded.   
  
"It is," Amara lied through her clenched teeth.  
  
Her mother sighed loudly. "Why oh why could I not get a   
good daughter that did what she was supposed to do and did not   
cause so much trouble? What could I have done to deserve this?"  
  
*What could I have done to be stuck with you as a   
mother?* Amara thought bitterly. She said nothing however,   
simply gritted her teeth harder.   
  
"Come on," her mother said as though she were speaking   
to a puppy. "Let us go inside. I will not tell your father   
about this. He thinks so highly of you, and I do not want to   
further humiliate you. Just make sure nothing like this ever   
happens again all right?"  
  
Amara nodded her head as her sword dropped to the   
ground and clanged on the floor. Her mother gasped and shook   
her head in disappointment as they walked back into the palace.  
  
She sat motionless in the large chair as her father   
threw her mother across the room. "You worthless trash," he   
screamed at his wife. "Why did I marry you? You cannot do   
anything right," he screamed angrily. His eyes were cold and   
his face was red with rage.   
  
"Please, I will get the dinner order right next   
time," she promised desperately.  
  
"Damn right you will you scum." He grabbed her arm,   
gripping it tightly as he pulled her up roughly. Her mother   
did not make a sound as he slapped her across the face,   
punched her in the stomach, and pushed her up against the   
wall. He put his hand underneath her chin and forced her to   
look up at him. "Do not dare ever order the wrong meal for   
my dinner again." He spat in her face.  
  
She stayed silent and motionless.  
  
Princess Lita also remained silent and motionless as   
her father left the room.  
  
Her mother glanced at her "Do not worry," she said to   
be reassuring when she saw the pain on Lita's face. "He just   
lost control of his temper that is all. He did not mean to hurt   
me. I will be fine," she promised.   
  
Lita ran out of the room, tears blinding her eyes.   
*Like hell,* she thought angrily. *Why does she always defend   
him and protect him? This was not one mistake. He does it all   
the time. I hate him, and I hate her,* she thought in rage as   
she got outside and lightning shot out of her hands. She   
stopped in shock as she saw everything in sight electrocuted   
and destroyed. "Wow," was all she uttered.  
  
She looked away from the window as her door was opened.   
Her mother entered the room and sat down on one of her chairs   
far from the window. "Amara, I have decided that you are not   
to have a birthday celebration this year because of your   
thoughtless behavior with the sword. I have lied and told your   
father that you do not want one and that I agreed with that   
decision. If you want to remain in your father's good graces,   
I suggest that you go along with this. Otherwise I will just   
tell him what you were doing."  
  
Amara shook her head quickly. "I will go along," she   
said emotionlessly. *Would father really hate me if he found   
out? I just want to be like him. I admire him so much,* she   
thought.  
  
Her mother nodded. "Good. I hope you have learned your   
lesson," Queen Anita said as she swiped a lock of her golden   
hair curled at the bottom behind her ear and exited the room   
gracefully.  
  
Amara growled after she had left the room, a low growl,   
as her hardened eyes looked back out the window.   
  
When Trista finally fell asleep it was nearly morning,   
and she did not even get a restful few hours of sleep. Instead   
she found herself back in the hazy vision with the cloaked   
woman. "Hello Pluto," the woman said.  
  
"Hello," Trista responded, feeling confused but trying  
not to show her confusion.  
  
"You have returned to get the transformation pens for   
you as well as Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn."  
  
"Transformation pens?"  
  
"Yes. The four of you are sailor soldiers of your   
respective planets. None of you need guards, but I am sure all   
of your parents are too hung up on tradition to realize that."  
  
"Sailor soldiers?"   
  
"Yes. You defend the universe from evil. You each have   
your own transformation, powers, and objects. You as well as   
Uranus and Neptune have the three of the most important   
objects-the talismans. Guard them carefully. They are sacred.   
The others will get theirs when they transform. You already   
have your talisman. It is the key."  
  
"We take the place of the guards then?" Trista asked,   
slightly confused.  
  
"Well, in part, yes. You have to stop thinking in   
terms of your traditional hierarchy. The truth is you are all   
destined for lives much different from the ones you are living   
now. You are all meant to protect the Silver Millennium   
Alliance from the outside on your planet Pluto. The others   
guard the inside from the Moon Kingdom."  
  
"The others?" Trista wondered out loud. "Do you mean   
the other princesses?" she asked.  
  
"Again too many questions. The others will find out on   
their own. You need only concern yourself with the three from   
the outer planets and yourself."  
  
"What are we defending our universe from? The Alliance   
is peaceful, and there have been no major disturbances in   
1,000 years."  
  
"That does not mean they will not come. Train. Train   
and prepare."  
  
"What exactly are we preparing for though? It might   
help if we knew."  
  
"You know enough," the woman answered mysteriously as   
Trista awoke from her vision. She sighed. *Will this woman   
ever give me the answers I seek? What will we have to save   
this universe from? How do we do it? Can we do it? Are the   
other princesses the inside defenders of the universe? I   
suppose I best not mention this to them though since she said   
I should not interfere with the inside defenders.* Questions  
continued to race through her mind for the next hour before   
she had to get up and be dressed for the day.  
  
Serena ran outside excitedly to meet the other   
princesses of the inner planets. "Raye, Lita, Mina, Amy!" she   
exclaimed as she hugged them all tightly. They all hugged her   
back gladly.  
  
"How are you all?" she asked in concern.  
  
"Hanging in," Amy said vaguely.  
  
"All right," Lita lied.  
  
"Fine," Mina lied.  
  
"I do not know," Raye said to avoid the truth.  
  
Serena saw through it all but said nothing. "Let us   
all sit and talk," she requested.  
  
They all nodded and sat with her. Suddenly Lita   
jumped up. "I just need some time alone please," she said   
desperately, running off.  
  
Serena stood up to run after her, but Raye shook her   
head. "Let her have some time alone. She needs it," Raye   
requested.  
  
Serena nodded. "All right."  
  
"I need some time alone too," Mina said quietly. "I   
am sorry. I will be back soon," she promised as she went off   
on her own.  
  
Serena and Amy sighed. Raye said nothing as she   
stared after Mina silently.  
  
Mina purposely went another way from Lita, but once   
she got into the woods she circled back around and searched   
for Lita. *I wonder what she is doing or thinking,* Mina   
thought. When she finally found her near the river, Lita was   
sending electric shocks out of her hand into the water. Mina   
stood silently watching her. Lita picked up on someone   
watching her only a few moments later, and she turned around.   
"Mina, this is not. I mean..." she gasped.  
  
"Do not worry," Mina said. "I have them too."  
  
"You have electric powers too? Really?"  
  
"Not electric. Golden beams come out of my hand, but   
it is power nonetheless."  
  
"Wow," Lita exclaimed. "I thought I was alone."  
  
"So did I," Mina admitted.  
  
"Want to practice together?" Lita asked.  
  
Mina nodded as golden beams shot out of her hands and   
combined with the electricity from Lita's hands to make a   
strong, lethal combination. They smiled at each other,   
feeling the stronger link between them as friends and   
warriors now.  
  
It was the meeting for those princesses of the   
planets Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Princess Amara   
came in last, and when she entered Michelle went away from   
the other two and sat down on a chair by herself. Amara   
stopped and hesitated. *Maybe she does not want to talk to me   
anymore,* she thought sadly. She took a deep breath and   
walked up to Michelle, trying to look confident. "Michelle,"   
she said.  
  
Michelle looked up in surprise and gasped. *She is   
talking to me. What does it mean?* Michelle wondered in   
surprise.  
  
"Michelle, can we talk...alone?" Amara asked.  
  
*Is she angry with me or could she possibly have   
forgiven me?* Michelle wondered in confusion. Michelle   
nodded her head. "All right," she said, getting up and   
walking out with her.  
  
"Where are they going?" Hotaru wondered out loud.  
  
"I think they need some time alone small one,"   
Trista said wisely as she hugged Hotaru close.   
  
"Yes?" Michelle asked when they were outside, her   
mouth dry from the anxiety she was feeling inside. She did   
not even realize she was holding her breath.   
  
Amara's heart felt like it stopped when she looked   
at her love. "Michelle, I..." She gulped. "I love you too."  
  
Michelle's heart fluttered. "Oh Amara, do you mean   
it?"  
  
Amara nodded. "I am sorry Michelle."  
  
"No apologies," Michelle said softly as she   
embraced the tall woman.  
  
Amara held her tightly, never wanting to let her go.   
She nuzzled Michelle's cheek with her own gently as she   
smelled her citrus smelling hair. "I love the smell of your   
hair," she said, taking a deep breath.  
  
Michelle nuzzled her cheek back and snuggled in   
Amara's embrace. "I love everything about you. The smell of   
your hair. The way your dark blonde hair sweeps along your   
face. The depth and variety of colors shining in your eyes.   
Your strong arms." She looked into Amara's eyes with her own   
deep blue ones, and Amara was lost in the depth and beauty   
shining through them.  
  
"I love everything about you too Michelle. I love   
you just the way you are." She looked at Michelle's   
beautiful, thin lips, noticing them for the first time.  
  
Michelle's breathing got faster as she too looked at   
Amara's thin, set lips. Amara's breathing got faster too.   
She looked into Michelle's eyes. Michelle nodded her head.   
"Yes," she answered Amara's silent question. Michelle stood   
up on her toes as Amara's head fell down onto Michelle's   
lips, and their lips touched briefly. Amara hesitated to go   
any further, but Michelle pressed herself against Amara's   
lips hard. Their lips opened as their mouths were joined in   
a passionate kiss, and their bodies pressed against one   
another.  
  
"Amara, are you all right?" Michelle asked hours   
later as she snuggled in her lover's embrace.  
  
"I do not know. So much is wrong now," Amara said   
sadly.  
  
Michelle nodded. "I know. I feel the same way. Tell   
me about it please. I am here for you."  
  
"I know you are. Thank you." She paused for a deep   
breath. "My mother caught me training with a sword in the   
guards' training room."  
  
"Oh Amara, is that why you did not get a birthday   
celebration?"  
  
"Yes," Amara said tightly. "She did not tell my   
father thankfully. I adore my father Michelle." Her voice   
became strained. "What if he finds out somehow? I do not   
want to stop training. It is the only thing besides being   
with you that I love, but neither one is allowed. I wish my   
father could love me the way I am, even if I am messed up   
as they all say."  
  
"They would all think I was messed up too if they   
knew the real person underneath this façade I put up. Oh   
Amara, I play their game. I get dressed up, and I act   
refined. Yes, I do like some proper things such as painting   
and dancing, but underneath it all I am just a tired,   
strange, lost, confused girl who does like fighting with   
my powers and who loves you. Amara, I will always love   
you the way you are. I do not know your father, but I wish   
and hope that he would love you no matter what too."  
  
"Michelle I Know he would Never accept us, and I do   
not think he would even understand the fighting and   
training I do."  
  
Michelle's eyes got watery as she laid her head on   
Amara's shoulder. "I am sorry Amara, but please do not   
change yourself for him. He may be an amazing person, but   
all you can do is love him the way he is and be yourself."  
  
Amara sighed. "All right," she said, but inside she   
questioned that thought. *If he cannot accept me, maybe I   
can change. I can learn to dance and be proper and love men   
right?* she tried to convince herself unsuccessfully.  
  
When they returned to where Hotaru and Trista were   
sitting, Trista asked them all to sit down and listen to   
her. They did so of course.  
  
"What is this about Trista?" Michelle asked.  
  
"I had another vision," Trista answered.  
  
"What happened?" Michelle asked.  
  
"It concerns all of us really."  
  
"Go on," Amara encouraged her.  
  
Hotaru nodded when Trista looked at her. "Here,"   
Trista said, throwing four pens on the ground. They each   
had a large planet on top. One was purple with rings around   
it, one was light blue, one was a lighter purple, and one   
was golden.   
  
"What is this about?" Amara asked.  
  
"Transformation pens. We are sailor soldiers. That   
is what she said. She told me that we use these to tranform   
into sailor soldiers, and we are meant to protect and   
defend the universe from the outside from evil forces.   
There are others who defend and protect the inside planets.  
Although she would not tell me who these others were, I   
would guess that they were the other princesses."  
  
"I do not understand," Amara said in confusion.   
"What evil? The Alliance and the universe are peaceful."  
  
"Neither do I. As you say we are a peaceful galaxy   
and have been for quite some time. I do not know what evil   
forces she meant, and she would not tell me. She said only   
that despite being peaceful now evil forces could come.   
She would not elaborate or go into details beyond that,"   
Trista responded.  
  
Michelle interjected. "We are princesses of the   
planets in the outer part of the solar system."  
  
"Yes, that part makes sense," Trista agreed.  
  
"How do we transform?" Amara asked. "I want to see   
what it is like to be a sailor soldier."  
  
"I do not know. She did not tell me, but we need   
to figure it out. I feel that something is coming, and we   
are meant to protect from the outside. We must prepare and   
train for this."  
  
"Agreed," Michelle said. "But first we must figure   
out how to transform."  
  
"And whose is whose. She did not tell me," Trista   
added.  
  
Everyone watched silently as Hotaru cautiously   
approached the pens. "This is mine," she said quietly as   
she picked up the purple one with rings around it."  
  
"Of course the rings of Saturn," Amara said.  
  
"Hush," Trista said. "Let there be silence for   
this."  
  
Amara nodded as they watched Hotaru in awe as she   
began to glow purple and shot her arm up in the air.   
"Saturn Planet Power!!" she yelled.  
  
Their mouths opened. It was a huge surprise to   
hear her yell, but they were in for an even bigger one as   
light surrounded her and she transformed into a short   
skirt and short sleeve outfit that was purple with a   
tiara and a purple choker and purple boots that went   
almost up to her knees and had a criss-cross lace   
design up them. She held a glaive in her hand.   
  
"Look at her eyes. They have gotten a purple   
coloring added into the black," Michelle said softly,   
still in awe.  
  
"The second of the four objects," Trista   
breathed.  
  
"What do you mean?" Michelle asked.  
  
"All four of us have objects. Saturn has the   
glaive. As you know you have already seen my time key. I   
do not know what you two have, but the objects you two   
have as well as my object make up the three talismans.   
They are supposedly sacred and important. We must take   
good care of them," she said.  
  
"Well I want to see mine!" Amara exclaimed.   
"Uranus Planet Power!!" she screamed as she picked up the   
golden pen instinctively. Light surrounded her as well.   
Whooshing up around her and twirling her into her sailor   
suit of golden and dark blue colors with a tiara and a   
dark blue choker around her neck. She had dark blue high   
heel boots that came up past her ankle but not quite to   
her knee. She held a sword with jewels on it and a fancy   
handle in her right hand.   
  
"Uranus," Michelle breathed.   
  
"Yes!" Uranus exclaimed. "A sword. This is great."  
  
Michelle walked up to the light blue planet pen,   
and her hand also shot up in the air. "Neptune Planet   
Power!!" she screamed. The waves of the ocean surrounded   
her as she also twirled into her sailor suit and emerged   
with the colors of turquoise and blue on her skirt and   
choker and bows. She also had a tiara and small high   
heeled blue shoes that had criss-cross straps. She held a   
small blue mirror in her right hand.  
  
Uranus smiled and looked at her love in   
admiration.  
  
Trista picked up the lighter purple pen and   
transformed. Fog lights shot up around her engulfing her   
in their mysterious light and twirling her into her   
sleeveless verion of the same sailor outfit as the others   
had on in marron and green colors. Her dark green hair now   
up in a bun and beautiful green boots with a white band   
around the top that went up past her knees. She held the   
time key in her right hand.   
  
"Pluto," Sailor Saturn said quietly. They all   
looked at one another in awe before beginning their   
training. They instinctively began to say their soon to be   
trademark phrases. "Pluto Deadly Scream!!" Pluto screamed   
as power shot out of the top of her time key.  
  
"Uranus World Shaking!!" Sailor Uranus yelled as   
two golden worlds shot out of her hands and destroyed all   
that was in sight.  
  
"Neptune Deep Submerge!" Sailor Neptune yelled as   
her ocean waves covered the land. Had Uranus' attack not   
destroyed everything, Neptune's power would have.  
  
Sailor Saturn said nothing. "Have you no phrase?"   
Sailor Neptune asked kindly.  
  
"I have one," Saturn answered. "I cannot use it   
though."  
  
"How do you know?" Sailor Uranus asked.  
  
Her wise purple eyes gazed into Uranus' deep blue   
and green ones. "My power destroys the world."  
  
"I thought you had healing power," Sailor Neptune   
said in confusion.  
  
"I do, but it has no phrase. I have the glaive to   
use in battle, but my powers are opposing. The healing   
comes from inside, and I can do it as either Hotaru or   
Sailor Saturn. The glaive is only for Sailor Saturn as is   
the opposing power. It is death. I am death."  
  
She said it so calmly that a chill went through   
the other three sailor soldiers. Pluto stepped forward.   
"How did you know this small one?"  
  
"I am not sure. I just know."  
  
Pluto nodded. "Just as you knew the phrase to say   
and the pen to use before any of us. You have the   
greatest and most destructive power. That is a huge   
burden for anyone to carry. Much larger than I could ever   
imagine handling, and you are a mere child. You have an   
old soul though, just as all of us do. I sense that in   
you small one. I am sorry you have this burden. You are   
an amazing soldier who will go on to do great things. I   
know this. I can sense it. Only you could handle such   
incredibly destructive powers. Use them wisely as I know   
you will small one. I am so proud of you, and I always   
will be." Sailor Pluto hugged Sailor Saturn close.   
Sailor Saturn for the first time showed strong emotion   
on her face as she wept.  
  
"You are the only one to ever say such kind   
things to me," she said. "You are the only one to   
believe in me," she cried.  
  
"Oh no Saturn, I believe in you. I have always   
believed in you Hotaru," Neptune promised.  
  
"As have I. You are strong. Much stronger than   
you appear to others. Underneath your apparent childlike   
body and weak body there lies the strongest spirit and   
power of us all. I too have always been and always will   
be proud of you," Uranus added.  
  
"Thank you all," she wept as they all embraced.   
There was a closeness amongst them all that no other   
could ever understand. No other except perhaps for the   
other princesses who had also formed such a close bond   
and closeness together.  
  
It was the night after Michelle's 15th birthday   
party, and they were in her bed. Amara was in her   
cotton pajamas, and Michelle was in her silky light   
blue nightgown. Amara lay on her left side, and   
Michelle was laying on her left side as well snuggled   
close against Amara's body who had her arms wrapped   
around Michelle's body. They slept soundly that night.   
When the sun came up the next morning, shining  
through the glass windows in Michelle's bedroom, Amara   
opened her eyes slowly. Yawning in a kind of sleepy   
stupor. She snuggled closer to Michelle and nuzzled her   
softly on the cheek. Michelle instinctively snuggled   
closer as she slowly woke up. She turned to look up and   
gazed into Amara's loving eyes. "I love you Amara."  
  
"And I you Michelle." Amara ran her hand down   
Michelle's silk nightgown.   
  
"Mmmm...that feels good," Michelle said.  
  
"Mmmm...it does to me too," Amara admitted,   
smiling.   
  
Michelle smiled back, nuzzling her and then   
kissing her softly. "I feel like I am in a hazy dream."  
  
"Mmm, me too Michelle. Me too. Let us never   
wake up."  
  
"Never," Michelle promised.  
  
Of course, they did soon have to get up and get   
dressed before anyone found out that Amara was sleeping   
on the bed with Michelle instead of alone in one of the  
guest bedchambers.  
  
  
"Happy 13th birthday Raye!" the other   
princesses as well as Prince Darien all exclaimed. She   
smiled some as she opened the gifts and then got to   
chat with all of her friends. She tried to appear as   
all right as possible, but inside she dreaded each   
passing minute as the time alone with her parents after   
the celebration came closer and closer. As the moment   
approached, she pulled away more and more from her  
friends. Lita and Serena stayed close to her being   
especially sensitive to how she was feeling. Amy was   
absorbed in a book, and Mina was absorbed in her own   
horror at this time.   
  
That evening did come eventually, and Raye   
stood stone cold as she took the beatings from her   
parents. The fire inside her burning intensely as her   
face remained expressionless. Raye always appeared   
cold but inside this fire had been burning and   
growing in intensity with each passing day.  
  
As she jumped down from the balcony that   
night, she stood beside a bush, and her eyes narrowed   
as she began to think of her mother slapping her   
across the face and her father kicking her in the   
stomach. She remembered her mother grabbing her neck   
and her struggle to breathe as her mother's grasp got   
tighter. Her mother's eyes cold, and her father   
grinning at his daughter's struggle. She opened her   
eyes suddenly from the heat she felt outside. The   
bush in the garden was burning as fire was shooting   
out of her hands. She gasped and then willed more   
fire to come out of her hands as she began to feel   
some satisfaction from the power and the burning of   
the bush.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	7. Life Continues

Chapter Six, Life Continues:  
  
Serena's 13 birthday passed uneventfully as she failed to   
portray to Darien her deep love for him. She got another chance   
however at Darien's 16th birthday party. As everyone chatted and   
enjoyed the cake, Princess Serena silently followed Prince Darien   
to his room. She stopped outside, after he had shut his door, in   
astonishment as she heard sobs coming from inside his bedroom.   
Serena's eyes filled with compassion, and she quietly opened the   
door without disturbing him. She walked up to him and softly   
said. "Can I hold you Darien?"  
  
His head shot up in surprise, and he turned away as though   
to save his pride from her seeing him cry though it was obviously   
too late to conceal that fact from Serena. "No," he said gruffly.  
  
She sighed and sat next to him. "You do not have to save   
your pride for me Darien. Believe me I understand the pain, and   
I know how hard life is. I could be here for you and I will...if   
you let me. Do not worry. I promise I would not tell anyone so   
your pride can remain intact."   
  
Darien turned and looked at her in surprise. *She is not   
so naive as I thought. Perhaps a bit clumsy but mostly   
intelligent, understanding, and compassionate.* Of course she   
could not know his thoughts, and she looked down sadly when his   
only comment was "hm."  
  
"I am sorry." She let out a nervous giggle. "I should not   
have bothered you. I forgot how much you hate me." She stood up   
to leave, but to her surprise he gently grabbed her arm and turned   
her towards him as he stood up. Her eyes opened wide in a mixture   
of curiousity and fear as he towered above her.  
  
He let go of her arm quickly. "I would never hurt you,"   
he promised, seeing the fear in her blue eyes. "I was just   
thinking it would be nice if you could stay," he managed to admit.  
  
She nodded her head, and they sat down as she wrapped her   
arms around him affectionately. He leaned his head on her shoulder   
and sighed in contentment.  
  
It was Amy's 13th birthday, and she was hurriedly fixing   
her hair that she had accidentally messed up after her maid had   
left. She knew she would be in big trouble if one strand looked   
out of place. Her worry and fears increasing, she closed her eyes   
and reopened them upon hearing the sound of water. When she   
opened her eyes, she gasped. The entire place was flooded. "What   
is going on up here?" she heard her father yelling as he ran up   
the stairs.  
  
*Oh no,* she thought frantically. *Did that water power   
come out of my own hands? How did I do that? And more   
importantly, how the heck do I get rid of it?*  
  
Her father opened the bedchamber door only to have a   
flood of water overtake him. Guards ran up and helped keep Amy   
back as they saved her father from drowning. *So father does not   
know how to swim,* Amy briefly thought while stopping her attempt   
to get free of the guards to save her father. The guards   
obviously had it under control. "You worthless little brat,"  
he yelled at her as was typical of her easily angered  
father though this time his anger, but not his words, was   
justified.  
  
When she came downstairs, and the party was canceled on   
the grounds that her bedroom was flooded, her friends all   
embraced her and uttered their apologies for what they knew she   
would go through with her father. "Take care Amy," they all   
said as they left.   
  
Trista, Michelle, Hotaru, and Amara all looked at one   
another. They each knew they were all thinking the same   
thing...that Amy was one of the inside defenders, and it only   
followed that the other four were the inside defenders as well.  
  
Raye realized she was not alone with her power, and Mina   
and Lita realized they were not the only ones with power either.   
However, they did not all get a chance to talk about it at the   
next meeting because it was Mina's 13th birthday party, and that   
would not be a "proper" event to discuss.  
Trista's 20th birthday came and went as did Lita's 13th   
birthday celebration.  
  
Hotaru's 10th birthday came next. "Happy birthday   
Hotaru!" everyone exclaimed. She smiled some, an unusual   
expression on her face, as they all gathered around the buffet   
and mingled and chatted. All of the princesses were getting very   
close despite the divide between the two groups. Hotaru knew that   
Trista and Amara and Michelle all wanted to talk with Amy and the   
others about being sailor soldiers and their duties and such, but   
all four knew that these others had to come to the realization on   
their own. Thus they tried hard to keep their mouths shut on the   
subject.  
  
Those sailor soldiers of the inner solar system did have   
a meeting at the end of January. Still unaware of being sailor   
soldiers of course, but they were each to soon find out to a   
certain extent. Raye pulled Amy aside, and they discussed her new   
found power.  
  
"I saw that you have a water power," Princess Raye said   
excitedly.  
  
Princess Amy gasped. "Please do not tell anyone," she   
begged.  
  
"It is all right. I have a fire power," Raye explained.   
"I think we should tell the others. Maybe they have powers too."  
  
"And if they do not?" Amy asked wisely.  
  
"Then...they are still our best friends; I think they   
should know," Raye said.  
  
Amy nodded. "All right," she agreed.   
  
After they came forward, Lita and Mina also explained   
their powers they had discovered.  
  
"I am the only one without a powerrrr?" Princess Serena   
whined harshly.  
  
They all gritted their teeth and covered their ears.  
  
"That whine of yours alone could wipe out a whole   
planet!" Lita teased.  
  
"Seriously," Raye agreed wholeheartedly.  
  
"I think you must have a power too," Mina said.  
  
"Yes," Amy agreed. "Let us help you discover it."  
  
Serena smiled a huge smile and eagerly agreed, impatient   
to discover her own power.  
  
"You have to get angry," Lita and Raye said.  
  
"Well it is not really anger so much as desperation,"   
Mina added.  
  
"No, I think it has more to do with worry and   
overwhelming anxiety," Amy said.  
  
"No, what I had was definitely anger," Lita said.  
  
"It could be that for each person it is different," Amy   
added.  
  
"I will try them all," Serena said.  
  
And she did, but nothing worked.  
  
"Think of something specific that caused you great pain,   
anger, or anxiety," Raye suggested.  
  
She closed her eyes, and the image of her father   
holding her up in the air and spinning in the forest immediately   
came to her thoughts. Intense pain and loneliness filled her   
soul, and a huge blinding white light came out of her body,   
destroying the entire Palace Gardens. The other four gasped and   
ran out of the way to safety. Princess Serena opened her eyes   
and gasped to at the sight. *Uh oh, Luna and mother are not   
going to like this,* she thought in worry.  
  
Queen Serenity and Luna came running out. "What just   
happened?" Luna asked in astonishment when she saw the   
destroyed gardens.  
  
Queen Serenity quickly hugged her anxious daughter   
close. "It is all right Serena. You did not know. I know how   
scary that power is when you first get it. I will explain all   
to you. Come inside. Do not be afraid. You will learn to   
control it and be more careful. I am sure of that dear   
daughter."  
  
Princess Serena followed her inside, expecting the   
others to follow and tell the Queen of their powers. However,   
they did not.  
  
Queen Serenity explained to her daughter about how   
she discovered her power with Miriam and how Luna's mother,   
Lune, had helped train her to harness the power in more   
productive and safe yet powerful ways. She promised along   
with Luna to help Serena learn the same thing.  
Serena smiled. "Only if the others can join us mother."  
  
"The others?" Queen Serenity asked in confusion.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	8. Powers and Training

Chapter Seven, Powers and Training:  
  
The five girls were training with Queen Serenity. Luna had   
remembered something that was long ago told to her by her mother   
when she was just an infant. Well, not so much remembered, as been   
reminded through a dream. She jumped up and did a somersault in the   
air as a transformation appeared for Princess Serena, and she did   
that four more times for each of the other princesses. They were   
all learning about controlling their powers as well as how to   
harness their powers with love rather than anger, pain, or anxiety.   
  
Luna told them the phrases to say as they transformed that   
cool day.   
  
"Moon Prism Power!" the Moon Princess' entire outfit of   
white with a blue skirt and color, a red bow in the front, a tiara   
with a red jewel in the middle, a red choker, red circles with   
white bands around them on her golden hair up in buns, and dangling   
moon crescent shaped earrings were all put on at high speed. She   
ended the transformation with her left arm up and her left hand on   
her forehead.   
  
"Venus Power!" Princess Venus shouted as golden light   
surrounded her and a white outfit with an orange skirt and collar,   
dark blue bow in front, an orange choker, a tiara with a yellow   
jewel in the middle, orange dot earrings, and a red bow all   
appeared upon herself. She also had orange high heeled shoes with   
a strap that crossed over her foot and long white gloves with   
orange rings around them.  
  
"Jupiter Power!" Princess Lita shouted as an electric   
circle formed around her and formed a white outfit with a dark   
green skirt and collar, a pink bow in front, a green choker, a   
tiara with a green jewel in the middle, pink rose earrings, and her   
hair held up in a ponytail by two green balls, on her self. Sailor   
Jupiter also had on green high heeled boots that went up past her   
ankles and long white gloves that went past her elbow with green   
rings around them.  
  
"Mars Power!" Princess Raye shouted. She was surrounded   
by a circle of fire and a white outfit with a red skirt and collar,   
purple bow in front, a tiara with a red jewel in the middle, red   
dot earrings, a red choker, and her long black hair completely   
down all appeared on her self. She also had red high heeled shoes   
on as well as the long white gloves that went past her elbow with   
rings of red around them.  
  
"Mercury Power!" Princess Amy shouted as she became Sailor   
Mercury, adorned in a white outfit with a blue skirt and collar, a   
light blue bow in the front, a tiara with a blue jewel in the   
middle, blue dot earrings, a blue choker, and her short blue hair   
curling around her ears. She also had blue boots that went up past   
her knees with a white band around them and long white gloves past   
her elbow with rings of blue around them.  
  
They all enjoyed training with Queen Serenity when they met   
at the Moon Palace as well as on their own whenever they got the   
chance. It was a break from the everyday drone of princess life,   
and it gave them all something to do outside of tradition that at   
least one royal figurehead approved of.  
  
Prince Darien and Princess Serena had gotten very close in   
a short period of time. Both admitting their own pain to one   
another and confiding in each other as their love grew stronger in   
their hearts. Serena finally had someone she could talk to about   
the empty hole in her heart from missing her late father, and   
Darien could finally tell of the mask of apathy he wore and his   
wish to be a guard and his secret of training with swords in the   
guards' training room.  
  
Princess Serena snuggled in her love's warm embrace.   
"Darien, when can we announce to others that we are a couple? I am   
sure your parents would approve of it since we are both royalty,   
and I know I always have my mother's support for whomever I want to   
date. The others will be thrilled to. Mina has known we belonged   
together for a long time in her heart. It is hard keeping this a   
secret from my closest friends," she admitted.  
  
Darien sighed and gently ran his hand down the length of   
her arm and kissed her cheek lovingly. "All right Serena, you are   
right. We have been hiding this long enough, and there is really   
no reason to keep it hidden any longer."  
  
Thus they announced being a couple at Amara's 16th   
birthday celebration. Everyone congratulated them. "I always knew   
you two would get together," Mina said cheerfully, winking at them.   
Serena blushed and Darien thanked her.  
  
"I am so excited," Lita said. "It is about time you two   
became a couple!"  
  
"Thank you," Darien said again as Serena smiled.  
  
"We have actually been a couple longer, but Darien did not   
want to come out with it until now," Serena confessed to her   
friends.  
  
Amara and Michelle looked at one another for a brief   
second that did not go unnoticed by several of the people present:   
Hotaru, Trista, Amy, and Lita all noticed. Mina's attention was   
fixed on the couple who were fixed on each other, and Raye was   
saying something.  
  
"I am so glad for you two. You make an unusual yet   
wonderful match," she said sincerely.  
  
"Thank you," Darien said again as Serena got a huge grin   
on her face and hugged Raye tight.   
  
"Love you best friend," Serena said.  
  
"Love you too best friend," Raye said, happy for one of   
her best friends.  
  
That night Michelle was restless. She could not sleep. The   
image of a smiling Serena leaning against a happier Darien would   
not leave her mind. She wished she could lean against Amara like   
that, hold Amara's hand in public, and tell the world that she was   
the luckiest girl alive to have Amara as her soulmate. But alas,   
she knew that would never come to be. *At least not in this   
lifetime,* she thought ironically.  
  
Another person was restless that night, and her name was   
Amara. She tossed and turned in bed, wishing so badly that she   
could proclaim her love for her other half, Michelle, to the world   
but knowing that was impossible. She sighed sadly.  
  
Trista and Amy were also restless that night, trying to   
figure out what that look between Amara and Michelle meant. Amy   
eventually concluded that it was some inside information, story,   
or joke that was shared between those two close friends. Trista   
got nearer to the mark, wondering if they were more than friends   
after all. The thought of two women together made her feel sick   
inside because it made her think of her and her mother, but she   
also was wise enough to see that as one of her own issues and not   
actually something that made two women being a couple wrong.  
  
Darien was restless too, thinking of his love and how   
scared he was to lose her.   
  
Mina was restless from her usual nightmares filled with   
older men touching and using her body in dirty ways.  
  
Lita was restless listening to the sound of her mother   
being thrown against a wall. She weeped silently.  
  
Hotaru was also restless, seeing the image of Darien and   
Serena imprinted on her mind and feeling a horrible sense of doom   
to come for those two. She had long ago seen Amara and Michelle as   
a couple. She and Mina had talked about it once because Mina felt   
their love for one another too. She and Mina had decided long ago   
not to interfere or tell anyone else about it.  
  
Raye's night was also restless because she could not sleep   
with such a sore body from all the beatings.  
  
Serena missed Darien greatly, thus her night was also   
restless.  
  
"Happy 16th birthday Michelle!" everyone exclaimed. It was   
a beautiful March day as Michelle smiled and unwrapped her gifts.   
When she unwrapped Amara's gift it was a silver ring. She gasped.   
It was only last month at the outer sailor soldiers' meeting that   
they had discussed what a silver and gold ring would symbolize.   
The silver ring would symbolize engagement and the gold one   
marriage. Not legally of course because that was not possible,   
but in each other's hearts that was what they would mean. She   
gazed in adoration at Amara. "Yes," she said softly.   
  
Amara grinned. "I am so glad you like it," she said,   
making everyone think that whether or not she liked it was the   
silent question Michelle had answered on purpose. She smiled when   
they all seemed to fall for it, including both sets of parents.   
Michelle's father was frowning though. Amara dismissed it as being   
about something else.  
  
That night as they all stayed over, Amara snuck into   
Michelle's bedroom to sleep with her again.  
  
"Love," she said as she entered.  
  
"Yes darling?" Michelle asked.  
  
Amara said no more and neither did Michelle as they lay   
together to keep one another safe, happy, and warm all night   
long.  
  
The door opened just as they were almost asleep.   
Michelle's eyes slowly opened as Amara's quickly shot open.   
Michelle's father was standing in the doorway. "What is the   
meaning of this?" he asked in astonishment. "I thought there   
was something strange about you giving her a ring," he said to   
Amara as he ran and pulled her out of the bed.  
  
Queen Melody, King Alan, and Queen Anita had all run   
into the room.  
  
"What are you doing to my daughter?" King Alan asked   
angrily.  
  
"Getting her away from my daughter," King Matthew   
said simply.  
  
"I do not understand," Queen Anita said.  
  
"What is going on?" Queen Melody asked.  
  
"Our daughters were sleeping together," King Matthew   
said to Queen Anita. "I knew there was something strange   
about Amara giving my daughter a ring. Your child is a   
horrible influence on our daughter, and I do not want her   
anywhere near this palace ever again."  
  
King Alan's mouth gaped open. "I cannot believe this,"   
Queen Anita said.  
  
"Me neither," King Alan said as the reality set in. "This   
is sick. Come on Amara, and by the way King Matthew, it is your   
daughter who is the bad influence on ours. So we will gladly stay   
away from this palace. I do not want your daughter near our palace   
either."  
  
And with that Amara was dressed and off the planet in mere   
minutes. Both had remained composed throughout the ordeal though   
they were slowly dying inside.  
  
"I cannot believe this!" King Alan shouted. "My lovely   
pride and joy...in bed...with a woman."  
  
"Yes that is right," Amara said shortly.  
  
"Do not test my temper right now Amara," King Alan warned.  
  
Amara looked down in shame.  
  
"What in the world could possess you to be with her like   
that? It just sickens me."  
  
Amara said nothing as she silently stared out the window.   
  
"That is not all. I regret not telling you before," Queen   
Anita began. "I found her training with a sword in the guards'   
room, combine that with her not liking to wear dresses and being   
with that Neptune princess and I think we get the picture," she   
finished.  
  
King Alan gasped. "You were using swords? You could get   
hurt. Those are for guards."  
  
"I know and that is what I want to be, a guard, father. I   
want to be a guard that wears pants. Why can I not do those   
things and still be the female princess, and why can I not be   
with the one I love? I know it is unorthodox but..."  
  
Her father interrupted. "It is more than unorthodox, it   
is down right sickening Amara. I cannot believe this," he   
repeated. "I am so disappointed in you."  
  
She hung her head in shame. The father she once looked up   
to in adoration and awe now despised her and her only true love.   
*How do I handle this?* she wondered in misery.  
  
"This is so disgusting," King Matthew said. "I do not   
understand how you could go against tradition like this Michelle,   
but listen to my words. Never again. Is that clear?"  
  
"No. We love each other," Michelle said, mustering up   
courage and strength to be honest and stand up for her right to   
love whomever she pleases.  
  
Queen Melody exited the room. "I cannot deal with this,"   
she admitted, her hand over her mouth in disgust.  
  
Michelle shook her head as her father glared at her. "I   
do not want to hear about this. Never again. Now is that clear?"   
he demanded.  
  
"very," Michelle said quietly as her father exited the   
room. "It is clear you know nothing about love and thinking   
for yourself," she mumbled softly.   
  
Princess Raye's 14th birthday celebration came next, and   
because King Alan and Queen Anita were there with their daughter,   
Michelle had to stay at the Neptune palace while King Matthew   
and Queen Melody avoided the Uranus royalty who also avoided them.   
  
Princess Amara went off to be by herself out in the   
gardens where she secretly transformed and began training alone   
with her power. However, what she did not realize is that Princess   
Amy had followed her. She quietly walked up behind her and tapped   
Uranus on the back.  
  
Sailor Uranus jumped, startled. "Amy!" she exclaimed. She   
tried to catch her breath.   
  
"Do not worry. I will not tell anyone. We have powers   
too," Amy explained quickly. "Oh and sorry about startling you,"   
she added.  
  
"Do not worry about it," Uranus said, smiling some. "So   
you five princesses all have powers too? You must be the ones   
meant to defend from the inside then after all. The four of us   
sort of figured that you five would be the ones."  
  
Amy's head went to one side, a confused look on her face.   
"Guard the inside. What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that Trista is the one who had visions about this,   
and the woman in her vision who gave us all transformation pens   
said that Michelle, Trista, Hotaru, and I are all meant to guard   
the outer part of the solar system from the Pluto Palace, and   
others are meant to guard the inner part of the solar system from   
the Moon Palace. We all thought those guardians of the inner   
solar system would be you five. Now I know it must be."  
  
"It does sound like that does it not?" Amy agreed. "But   
what are we guarding from, and what about our guards?"  
  
"Well, we do not know what we are guarding from. The woman   
in Trista's vision hinted that things would not remain peaceful."  
  
"Oh no," Amy said.  
  
"Yes, I know," Uranus agreed. "We are all supposed to be   
sailor soldiers who do not need guards, but the woman in Trista's   
vision said our parents are too hung up on tradition to see that."   
  
"Not Queen Serenity. She has been helping train us."  
  
"She has?" Amara, who had detransformed, said   
incredulously.  
  
"Yes, she is wonderful. She had powers too at our age and  
even sooner actually."  
  
"So she must know some things," Amara mused.  
  
"Oh yes, so much that she learned from Lune, Luna's mother.   
Luna got us our transformation pens. But tell me, who is the woman   
in Trista's visions?"  
  
"That is just it. We do not know. Not even Trista knows I   
do not think, but the lady told her that she would be taking the   
woman's place. Whatever that means."  
  
"Hmm...interesting," Amy said.   
  
"Want to practice together?" Amara asked her.  
  
"All right," Amy reluctantly agreed. *I do not want to   
get in trouble, but I would so much rather be doing this,* she   
thought to herself. "Mercury Power!" she shouted as she   
transformed. Sailor Uranus smiled at Sailor Mercury in approval,   
and they both began practicing.  
  
They had not been practicing long now when the rest of   
the princesses found them and joined them. Information was   
exchanged again, and all eight began training together. "I will   
relay the message to Michelle," Trista promised since Amara could   
not. No one asked why Michelle was not here. They all could feel   
that it was a touchy subject for Amara.  
  
As they were all training together, Queen Serenity   
approached them. "So you three have powers too?" she asked   
softly. "I suppose Michelle also has powers?" She also wisely did   
not bring up the question of why Michelle was not here. She saw   
how close Michelle and Amara were and how the parents of the two   
were avoiding one another.   
  
"Yes she does," Hotaru responded. Serenity hugged Hotaru.   
Hotaru smiled in surprise at the surprising sign of affection   
from an adult. The kind of surprise that only comes from over 10   
years of neglect.  
  
Queen Serenity was very receptive to all they had to tell   
her, and she promised to get them all together and help train the   
other four now as well. Trista chose not to tell about her   
visions or the impending wreckage suggested by the woman in her   
visions. The others wisely chose not to bring it up since they   
deemed bringing up that subject to be Trista's decision.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	9. War Breaks Out

Chapter Eight, War Breaks Out:  
  
"Who are you?" Princess Raye demanded upon seeing the young   
male leaving the palace from the wrong door.   
  
"I...um...well...you see," he stuttered.  
  
"Go ahead. I am waiting," Raye said, her hands on her hips.  
  
"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" he rapidly   
changed the subject.  
  
Raye, however, was not moved. Not one bit. "I repeat the   
question. Who are you, and what are you doing here?" she asked.  
  
The man gulped. "I was just...I mean...umm...well, you   
see..."  
  
"Simply say it Now," Raye said forcefully.  
  
"All right, all right." He put his hands up in the air.   
"You win," and he took bread out of his pockets and placed it in   
her hands.  
  
"You were stealing bread?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"I am so sorry. So so sorry. It is simply that we are all   
starving, and I swear it will not happen again," he promised.  
  
Raye shook her head and put the bread back in his hand.   
"Take it. We have plenty. You are a peasant? I am so sorry your   
family is starving. Come with me to the kitchen to get more to eat."  
  
"Oh thank you a million times over. Thank you. Yes, I am a   
peasant. You are a maid here? Or something of higher class?"  
  
"I am the princess," she admitted.  
  
"Princess Raye?" he asked. She nodded her head. "Raye as in   
a ray of sunshine. Your brightness illuminates the dark corners of   
Mars," he said.  
  
"You are strange," she commented.   
  
"I am a poet," he said.  
  
"What is your name then poet?" she asked as she giggled.   
  
"Chadwick. My name is Chadwick," the man said.  
  
She smiled. "A strange name for a strange poet." They both   
laughed as they prepared a huge feast for his family together.   
  
Trista stood looking out at the horizon. She was facing   
infinite space, and yet out of that darkness came something even   
darker. A cold feeling shocked her body. She smelled the air.   
Something smelled wrong. Something felt wrong. A sinister dark   
force appeared in front of her and began advancing with their   
weapons. A dark cloud curled around Pluto. Trista screamed and   
began running. She could not fight them alone she knew. She   
transformed quickly and turned around shooting her power out   
through her hands as she kept on running. She ran straight   
into the palace and alerted the army as well as the entire planet.   
The Pluto planet was not ready to fight, but the Pluto army ran   
out to fight these sinister forces as best as they could.  
  
The alarms sounded throughout the palace. She jumped from   
the chair she was sitting in and began running to find her mother   
frantically. As soon as she was out in the hall, her four guards:   
Lex, Kamie, Gregory, and Tonya encircled around her. "We will keep   
you safe at all costs," Lex, the top guard, promised. The others   
nodded in agreement as they ran outside with their princess.  
  
When they finally got outside Lex, Kamie, and Tonya ran   
back in to find out what was happening while Gregory remained   
behind to guard the beloved princess. "Are you all right princess?"   
he asked softly.  
  
She nodded her head.   
  
He hugged her close. "You must be terrified. Do not worry.   
Your other guards will soon find out what is going on."  
  
"What is going on?" Lita demanded of her top guard as she   
tried to catch her breath outside the castle. She too had been   
awoken by an alarm that morning and had rushed outside with her   
guards in a panic.  
  
"The whole planet is in panic. All the planets of the   
Silver Millennium Alliance are in fact princess," answered   
Kenneth.   
  
"Why?" she demanded.  
  
He held out his hand for her to hold. "Do not be too   
scared," he said. "This is serious, but we are not in immediate   
danger. However the outer planets of the solar system are. *Oh no,   
Trista, Michelle, Amara, and Hotaru,* Lita thought frantically.  
  
"I have to know if my friends are all right," she said,   
tears coming to her eyes. She did hold his hand. "But I am not   
afraid," she said forcefully, her eyes narrowed at him as though   
to emphasize the point. "I am not helpless you understand?"  
  
"Of course," he said. The only male she had ever met to  
finally respect and agree that women could be just as "strong"   
as men.  
  
She looked at him in admiration.  
  
"We got here as fast as we could," Amara gasped out   
breathlessly as she and Michelle and Hotaru all ran up to where   
Trista was standing. There was a dark cloud surrounding the   
entire planet and dark forces gaining ground, getting closer   
and closer to the middle of the planet where the castle was   
located.  
  
Trista's dull eyes looked into their anxious ones. "The   
army is not strong enough," she said simply.   
  
*She looks exhausted,* Michelle thought.   
  
Amara and Hotaru looked out at the army as did Michelle.   
"You are right. They are losing badly," Amara observed.  
  
"We must fight," Hotaru said.  
  
"Will we be strong enough?" Michelle asked worriedly.   
They all looked at one another.  
  
"Our parents will not be happy," Amara said.  
  
"They are not happy we are together either, but tough   
luck for them," Michelle said strongly.  
  
"Right," Trista said. "We knew this day would come. We   
have duties to perform and planets and kingdoms and an alliance   
to protect."  
  
"Right," Amara and Michelle and Hotaru agreed.  
  
"Saturn Planet Power!"  
  
"Pluto Planet Power!"  
  
"Neptune Planet Power!"  
  
"Uranus Planet Power!"   
  
And they all transformed in a blinding array of lights.  
  
They ran up close to the troops and began fighting.   
  
Sailor Saturn spun her glaive expertly as she had done so   
many times in practice. *But this is not practice,* Hotaru   
reminded herself as she looked out at the darkness.  
  
"Pluto Deadly Scream!!"  
  
"Uranus World Shaking!!"  
  
"Neptune Deep Submerge!!" the other three screamed,   
unleashing their attacks from a bit farther back than Saturn was.   
Saturn had bravely dove right into the middle of the darkness,   
swinging her glaive in a circle and working her way out. The   
others had gasped but quickly regained their senses and attacked   
from the outside with strength.   
  
"Thank you so much for helping me prepare all this food   
for my family. My younger sister and parents will be so   
grateful," Chadwick said.  
  
"And you?" Raye asked directly.  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Are you glad?" she asked.  
  
A huge grin came upon his face. "Very," he said. "For   
more than one reason."  
  
Raye smiled, her first real smile on her face. Her eyes   
sparkled. "Thank you as well for helping me laugh and smile,"   
she said gladly.  
  
"Do you not laugh or smile often?" he asked.  
  
"Well...no," she admitted.   
  
He smiled. "Then I am glad I could be of service," he   
said, bowing to her in a teasing manner.  
  
She giggled.   
  
"RAYE GET UP HERE!" her father screamed.   
  
Raye turned a deathly pale shade on her face. "You   
should go. I have to go," she said hurriedly.   
  
A look of concern appeared on Chadwick's face, but he   
nodded. Quickly and quietly he left.  
  
Sailor Saturn screamed as the forces overtook her. She   
disappeared, appearing to be swallowed by the dark cloud. In   
reality she was beaten badly and thrown back out.  
  
"Saturn!" the other three screamed anxiously, running up   
to her. She lay almost motionless on the ground, her left hand   
only losing some of its grip on the glaive.   
  
"Are you all right Saturn?" Neptune asked anxiously.  
  
"Small one?" Pluto asked anxiously, a horrible strain in   
her voice.  
  
"I...I am all right," Saturn managed to gasp out. "Please   
do not distract yourselves with me. Fight. The Alliance needs   
you. The beings of all the planets need you all," Saturn said.  
  
"We need you though," Uranus said, desperation lining her   
voice.   
  
Saturn nodded. "I will be fine," she said. Although that   
did not convince her perceptive friends, they went off and began   
fighting courageously again.   
  
One of the leaders of the dark forces' army jumped up in   
the air in front of Saturn and threw a dark energy ball into her   
stomach. She grimaced and groaned.   
  
"Saturn!" the other three screamed again as she fell to   
the ground dead.  
  
Gregory had been wonderful to Amy throughout the whole   
ordeal, and they had truly gotten close. Amy had shared what a   
horrible person she felt she was and how worthless her father   
made her feel with his constant verbal assaults of his daughter.   
Gregory held her as she cried and cried. Cried for the war going   
on, cried for her friends she had not seen in so long, cried for   
the father and home she never had, cried for the person she had   
been forced to be, and cried for the tender arms and words of her   
love Gregory that brought her such warmth and comfort that she   
never wanted to leave his arms.  
  
"Noooooooooo," Neptune screamed.  
  
"You!" Uranus shouted, jumping on top of the leader and   
sending her attack into his throat. He screamed, fell down, and   
died.  
  
Trista said nothing; she had stopped, paralyzed.  
  
To prepare for the attack Kenneth began training Princess   
Lita with swords as she requested. "You are so amazing. Who would   
have thought a male could admit that a female and a princess for   
that matter could wield a sword and do well with it?"  
  
"Me," Kenneth answered simply. "We are all beings, and we   
all only have ourself in the end. So it is best to know how to   
fight."  
  
She smiled and nodded her head in agreement as they   
continued to practice together with the swords.  
  
The army continued to fight with Sailor Neptune and   
Sailor Uranus for many days. Sailor Pluto refused to fight,   
crying over the loss of the one she held so dear to her heart.   
She kept herself isolated, not ready to deal with the world. She   
was forced to deal with something else instead. The cloaked woman   
appeared in front of her. Pluto rubbed her eyes. "Am I dreaming   
or hallucinating?" she asked out loud to no one in particular.   
  
The woman answered however. "Neither. You are very much   
awake, and I am very much real." After a brief silence, she spoke   
again. "You are right to not fight though for the wrong reasons.   
You must join me at the time gate."  
  
"What?" Pluto asked.  
  
"You must take my place at the time gate, and you will   
guard it for three millenniums until you give it to the next   
guardian of time at the close of that time. My three milleniums   
are up, and I am ready to give up my place. Anxious to actually.   
It does get rather lonely and boring up there," she added.  
  
Pluto shook her head. "I do not know how to guard the   
gate, and besides I am needed here by my friends."  
  
"True, you are, and they will most likely die without   
you. But you must come anyway."  
  
"What? How could you say such a heartless thing?"  
  
"I have been alive three millenniums; give me a break if   
I seem a little apathetic and callous all right?" the woman shot   
back.  
  
Trista stepped back in surprise. "Listen. I am sorry, but   
my duty and protection go to my friends before any gate."  
  
"You presume that I am giving you a choice. This is the   
way the timeline is supposed to play out. Whatever happens was   
meant to happen."  
  
"So it will turn out for the best?" Pluto asked   
hopefully.  
  
"I did not say that. I only said whatever happens   
happens...thus another day and month and year will go by.   
Eventually they all blend together and things just do not matter   
so much anymore."  
  
"They will always matter to me!" Pluto proclaimed.  
  
"Well good for you then," the woman said, a hint of   
mockery in her voice. "However, right now you have to take your   
place." She waved her time key, and they were both back in that   
misty, hazy grey place of her dreams. Pluto gasped. "That is   
right. This is the time gate."   
  
Raye pulled the hood farther over her head as her cloak   
covered her entire body and most of her head as well as her long   
shining black hair. She was determined to find Chadwick again.   
To her surprise, she did not have to look very far. When she got   
out into the gardens surrounding the palace, she saw him   
approaching the back door he had tried to sneak out of when they   
first met.   
  
"Chadwick!" she whispered forcefully.  
  
"Raye," he said, quietly approaching her. "Is that you   
underneath that disguise?" he said, breaking into a quiet   
chuckle.  
  
Raye smiled and laughed as well. "Yes, it is me."  
  
He came up and hugged her close. "I have missed you dear   
Raye."  
  
"I have missed you as well dear Chadwick."  
  
They sat down by a fountain, and Chadwick cautiously put   
his arm around her back, placing his hand on her left shoulder.   
"Raye, your father sounded scary the last time I was here. Does   
he usually yell like that?"  
  
"Do not all fathers?" she asked evasively.  
  
"No," Chadwick answered honestly.  
  
"Oh," she murmured.  
  
"Tell me about him. And about your mother," Chadwick   
asked, concern and worry showing on his face.  
  
"No need to worry about me. I am fine," Raye said,   
trying to keep her pride intact.  
  
"But I do worry because I love you so much."  
  
She gasped as her mouth opened wide.   
"You...you....love me?" she asked in surprise.  
  
"Yes," he answered simply.  
  
"I like you Chadwick...a lot, but I am not sure that I   
love you."  
  
"Fair enough," he said. "At the least I will always be   
here for you as a friend, So please tell me, do your parents   
honestly treat you all right?"  
  
"I guess I have a hard time judging. I thought all   
parents did what mine do, but from Serena and you I learn   
differently."  
  
"Serena is?" he asked.  
  
"One of my best friends, and the princess of the Moon   
Kingdom," Raye admitted.  
  
"Oh!" Chadwick exclaimed.  
  
"She is really very down-to-Moon," Raye said. "You   
would like her I am sure. She is caring and compassionate and   
real, not a fake snob like most of us royalty."  
  
"Not you though," Chadwick said kindly.  
  
"Oh Chadwick, thank you. I do not want to be like that.   
I am so tired of having to put up a façade all the time. It is   
a relief to have my friends and you to talk honestly with."  
  
"I am so glad to be talking to you too," he said   
sincerely.   
  
"They do hit me...beat me," she reluctantly admitted.  
  
"Raye, I want to go in there and beat them down right   
now for you. You deserve so much better. You deserve someone to   
hold you and keep you safe."  
  
"I can look out for myself," Raye said honestly.  
  
"I am sure you can, but I wish I could be there for you."  
  
"You are Chadwick. You really are. You have no idea how   
much you have helped me."  
  
"I am glad," he said.  
  
"I must go now though. Until next time," Raye nodded and   
ran off.  
  
*Until next time love,* he thought to himself, wondering   
when that would be since they had not set a date or time. He   
shrugged his shoulders, content that it would work out somehow.   
  
The cloaked woman led her to the time gate. "You are 21   
now, so it is time that you took your place. Your body will remain   
21 throughout the entire three milleniums though obviously your   
experiences and mind and soul will grow with each passing day as   
is with everyone.  
"  
So that is why you look so young," Trista commented.  
  
The woman smiled. "Exactly. Now you are understanding this   
finally."   
  
"I resent that. I am an intelligent being. You were just   
hard to understand and very cryptic."  
  
"I suppose I was for a 21 year old. I forget your age   
sometimes Pluto." She showed Pluto how the gate worked and   
disappeared, leaving Pluto to her new duties.   
  
"Amy are you all right?" Gregory asked.   
  
"I do not know," Amy answered honestly."I mean. Are   
they really all right out there? I wonder, and I worry. I have   
not seen Princess Trista, Michelle, Amara, or Hotaru in so   
long. I really miss them. I worry for the future of our   
kingdom. I worry for our future," she admitted.  
  
"Worry not about that precious," he said as he kneeled   
before her. Amy gasped. "Will you marry me dearest Amy?" he asked.  
  
"Oh Gregory, yes. Of course yes." Her eyes sparkled as she   
put the ring on her finger, and they were officially engaged.  
  
The forces were advancing and seemed to just grow bigger   
and bigger. Uranus wiped her sweaty brow. Neptune sighed and took   
a deep breath. They both jumped into the middle as Saturn had done   
courageously.   
  
"URANUS WORLD SHAKING!!!!" Uranus shouted.  
  
"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!!!" Neptune shouted as she put her   
mirror up and began destroying more of them.   
  
Uranus swung her sword expertly, killing many more. They   
were doing very well considering their small, peaceful army and   
only two powerful sailor soldiers to fight the millions of dark   
army members.   
  
Unfortunately they were still not a real match, and Sailor   
Neptune got hit. She fell to the ground.   
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," Sailor Uranus screamed,   
pushing her sword into the creature that had hit her love and   
killing it.   
  
Then the force overtook them both.  
  
"Oh no, I cannot bear to sit here and do nothing," Pluto   
said to herself. She prepared to go down and join them in the   
fight.  
  
After Lita had gotten very good with the swords, she   
admitted to him that she had powers. Then she transformed in front   
of Kenneth.  
  
"Wow," Kenneth breathed.  
  
"Yes, it is really great is it not?" Lita asked in   
excitement.  
  
"You are a beautiful warrior," he said. She hugged him   
close.   
  
"Kenneth I am so glad I have met you. You defy tradition   
and respect women and allow people to be who they are."  
  
Kenneth smiled. "You also defy tradition, respect others,   
and allow people to be who they are. I cannot wait to meet your   
friends you speak of. I wish I could get you and your mother safe   
away from your father."  
  
"Oh Kenneth, no one could do that."  
  
"I know." He sighed. Finally he said softly. "Lita, I   
love you."  
  
Lita's eyes filled with tears as she embraced him. "And   
I love you," she said sincerely.  
  
A hand grabbed her arm and stopped her. "You cannot go   
Pluto," the previous guardian of the time gate said.  
  
"I thought you were gone."  
  
"No, I only wanted you to think that. I stay for a few   
months to watch over you and make sure you do your job and   
correctly  
  
"I Have to go," Pluto said angrily and strongly.  
  
"You cannot. I am sorry," the woman said though she did   
not really seem sorry at all. "It is just the way things are."  
  
Pluto shook her head. "I will not accept it," she said,   
preparing to go down.   
  
The woman grabbed her arm again. "I am just going to   
have to keep doing that until you get the point. You do not have   
a choice. I will not let you go. It is not the way things are  
supposed to go."  
  
"Do you fear that all our planets will be destroyed   
Darien?" Serena asked worriedly.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Me too. Oh Darien, I am so scared. What is going to   
happen to our planets, to my friends, and to us?" she asked  
  
"Serena." He held her close. "Oh how I wish I knew. I   
wish I knew, but I do not know my love," he said as he held her   
closer and nuzzled her hair with his nose. She giggled softly   
and sighed in content as she buried herself in his arms.  
  
Pluto screamed and struggled in vain against the woman's   
hard grip, but it was useless. She watched her best friends,   
Uranus and Neptune, be killed by the dark forces. She hung her   
head and wept.  
  
"Mother," Princess Serena said as she quietly entered her   
mother's bedchamber.  
  
"Yes precious?" her mother said, turning away from the   
mirror, tears in her eyes.   
  
"Oh mother are you all right?" Serena asked, immediately   
going up and hugging her mother close.   
  
"I do not know daughter," she replied honestly. "I am   
trying to hang on to some hope." Her mother sighed. "There seems   
to be so little right now, but then I always have something to   
live for with my darling daughter right here do I not?"  
  
Serena smiled. "That is right. And please do not ever   
forget what a special place you have in my heart."  
  
"I hope that you never forget the special place you   
always have in my heart precious. Now what is it you wanted to   
talk about?" They sat next to each other in the bed, and Serena   
snuggled in her mother's warm, caring embrace.  
  
"It is about the others. So many of them are being so   
hurt by their parents. I know that I am not supposed to talk   
badly about adults or royalty for that matter, but I do not   
see how this is all right. It is all so wrong I feel mother."  
  
Queen Serenity caught her breath. "Who told you you   
cannot speak badly about adults or royalty?" she asked gently.  
  
"Well, it seems to be an unspoken rule everywhere   
reinforced by what my friends tell me. They are so loyal to their   
parents, but their parents hurt them so badly. Can they not fight   
back and get out of this situation somehow?"  
  
"Oh Serena, it is like an unspoken rule around here that   
children are not to speak badly about adults and that no one   
should speak badly about royalty. It is wrong though, as you say.   
Always with me you can speak the truth about whomever you like,   
including me and any other adult or royal figurehead. All right?"  
  
Serena nodded her head. "All right, thank you mother."  
  
"Now tell me about your concerns with your friends."  
  
"Amy gets called all kinds of horrible names and is   
constantly manipulated by her father. Raye's father and mother   
beat her all the time for the littlest things or even for nothing   
at all. Lita's father beats her mother, and Lita hurts herself.   
Mina...well you know about what she has been through. I do not   
know what the other four have gone through, but have you noticed   
how thin and frail Hotaru is? And the pain they all four seem to   
carry?"  
  
"Oh you are so wise for your age precious Serena. You are   
right. I see the pain too. I wish I knew what to do about it. I   
have the power to make almost any law, but the laws of royalty   
cannot be broken."  
  
"Why not?" Serena asked.  
  
"Children are to obedient to their parents, and everyone   
is to be obedient to royalty. I am not allowed to change that   
law. It is as old as time itself. Even if I were to take away the   
rule, it is too much a part of society that it would never fall   
away or at least not for many centuries which still does not help   
your friends. Still, I think there must be some way. Thank you   
for telling me all you know because I really did not know all of   
that," Queen Serenity admitted. "Please always come to me with   
these things when you can."  
  
Serena nodded. "I will try. Thank you so much mother."  
  
She hugged her daughter close and walked back with her   
to her room to tuck her in. "Aww mother, I am 13."  
  
"I know but can I not get a few more tucks in before you   
are definitely too old for this?" her mother asked in a teasing   
manner.  
  
"Oh I suppose," Serena conceded as she snuggled into the   
covers and smiled.  
  
And the dark forces overtook the entire armies of the four   
outer planets thus securing their base on Saturn and having   
control of all four outer planets.  
  
News of the dead Trista, Amara, Michelle, and Hotaru as   
well as their parents and everyone on their planets reached each   
planet in the inner solar system.   
  
Lita leaned against Kenneth, and they cried.  
  
Chadwick held the stone cold Raye close.  
  
Darien's eyes narrowed as he finally decided to join the   
Moon Kingdom's army, glad his sword training paid off. Inside he   
wept for the loss though.  
  
Serenity held her daughter, Serena, close and rocked   
with her as fear and loss filled both their bodies with an   
anxious dread.  
  
Mina held Artemis close for comfort, and Miriam and   
Michael ran in to stay with their daughter and protect her.   
Miriam held her daughter close.  
  
Gregory and Amy sobbed, neither one thinking anymore   
about their wedding day as they struggled to even hold out hope   
that they would exist tomorrow.  
  
  
To Be Continued... 


	10. War in the Inner Solar System

Chapter Nine, War in the Inner Solar System:  
  
Princess Serena stood outside the palace gates, facing   
Prince Darien, her beloved. "Oh Darien I am going to miss you so   
badly," Princess Serena said sincerely, tears flowing down her face.  
  
Darien's eyebrows furrowed in concern, and he turned his   
head so he did not have to look into her sad eyes. "I have to help   
the inner solar system army. It consists of the Moon army, Earth   
army, Mercury army, Venus army, Mars army, and Jupiter army," he   
said.  
"I know," she said sadly.  
  
"I will come back to you Serena. I promise. We will win   
this fight," he said, fear lining his courageous, strong voice.   
Serena's eyes filled again with tears.  
  
"Here," she said quietly as she held out the star locket.   
It was open, playing beautiful music for only them.   
  
"I love you Serena. Remember I will be back."  
  
Serena nodded sadly, not believing him.  
  
Darien stood at the forefront of the armies, leading them   
into battle. His mother and father had not been able to stop him   
and his decision despite their efforts. They had finally given up   
on controlling their son. He was obviously simply going to do   
whatever he pleased. Even the desperate, begging Serena had not   
been able to deter Darien from his choice to join the armies at   
the forefront. She had come very close though, closer than anyone   
else could have.   
  
Darien swung his sword into the darkness, destroying a few   
evil creatures with each swing.  
  
They were training hard and fighting with one another   
knowing the armies would soon need their help. "Mars Fire Ignite!"   
Sailor Mars screamed, unleashing her fire power.  
  
Jupiter and Venus were practicing hand to hand combat with   
one another.  
  
Sailor Mercury was going through all the options in her   
scanner and computer.   
  
They were all preparing to go to battle with these evil   
Negaverse monsters threatening the safety, peace, and security of   
the Silver Millennium Alliance.  
  
As nearly always happened, they were one member short.   
"Who is going to get her this time?" Jupiter finally asked.  
  
Mars stopped practicing her fire attacks and gave a loud   
sigh. "I will go get her," she said wearily.  
  
Princess Serena spent practically all of her time gazing   
at Earth, where the battle was taking place, now. She often missed   
training and meetings because she lost track of time.  
  
Mars had detransformed back into Princess Raye. Raye   
approached Serena. "Serena, you are missing training!" she said   
loudly.  
  
Serena turned, her eyes full of deep sadness.  
  
Raye gasped. "Oh Serena," she said, and she embraced her   
friend.   
  
Serena sniffled. "I am sorry. I lost track of time again   
it seems."  
  
"I am sure he loses track of time gazing at the Moon too,"   
Raye said wisely.  
  
"No, he is busy fighting," Serena said, misunderstanding   
the meaning of Raye's words.  
  
"I know you are the one he thinks of day and night though,"   
Raye explained. "And whose to say that before or after or even   
during the battle he does not gaze up at the moon momentarily?"  
  
Serena's eyes filled with tears. "You really think so   
Raye?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"I know so."  
  
"Oh Raye, thank you." She held her close, and Raye smiled   
some. She was glad to give her best friend some comfort in this   
dark, empty time.  
  
"I hate war," Amy said at the next sailor soldier meeting.   
Why can we not just come to some peaceful solution?" she wondered   
out loud.  
  
"We cannot compromise with pure evil. They would take   
advantage of us," Lita said simply.  
  
"Of course. I know you are right. I just wish..." Amy   
trailed off.  
  
"We all do Amy," Mina agreed. Serena and Raye nodded   
their heads in agreement.  
  
Prince Darien swung his sword, and he threw arrows at the   
dark cloud that was slowly gaining more and more ground on Earth.   
He shuddered. *We may not last much longer,* he thought   
regretfully. Sweat covered his body as he continued to fight with   
all the strength he and the rest of the remaining army had left.  
  
Princess Serena walked out into the gardens. Standing   
beside one of the fountains was a young lady in a white dress   
that had cuts on the bottom. It was a cream color really that had   
a beautiful light blue bow that was also cut up and lopsided.   
  
"Princess Serena?" she ventured.  
  
Princess Serena stopped and looked the girl up and down.   
Suspicious but also aware that she was probably royalty or else   
some kind of enemy who had somehow gotten through the garden gates.   
"Who are you?" she asked, on guard.  
  
"My name is Molina."   
  
"What do you want of me?" Serena asked cautiously.  
  
"Your help."  
  
"With what?"  
  
The woman collapsed. Serena gasped and ran to her side.   
Alert and on guard but also helping her up. She sat the girl on   
the edge of the fountain and held her up as she cupped her hands   
together and let the water from the fountain flow into her cupped   
hands. She put her hands up to the woman's lips, and the woman   
drank. They continued this for awhile until Molina was revived.  
  
"Tell me Molina; what business do you have here?" Serena   
asked carefully.  
  
"I seek your help to get my cousin out of the war. I have   
heard you are his one and only, his beloved."  
  
"Darien," Serena breathed.  
  
"Yes, yes," the woman said excitedly, color coming back   
into her pale cheeks.   
  
"Oh Molina I am so sorry you came all this way. I tried   
with all my heart to convince him not to fight, but alas it was to   
no avail. He is set upon this course of action. All I can do is   
support him while still wishing he was safe and sound here."  
  
Molina heaved a huge sigh. "Oh all this way for nothing. I   
must say that I am surprised. It is no surprise that he would not   
listen to me, but to not listen to his own beloved is surprising I   
think."  
  
"He has strong convictions. I love that about him even if   
I do wish he was safe here."  
  
Molina nodded her head. "I also wish he was safe. It is   
even more frightening how he has stationed himself at the   
forefront."  
  
"Yes, I wish so badly he had not done that," Serena said   
sadly.  
  
Molina began to cry as did Serena, and they held each other   
as tears streamed down both their faces. Both in a white dress. One   
dress unspoiled and one torn, but both of them crying the same   
sobbing tears of having a loved one at the forefront of this   
terrifying war."  
  
"Oh Molina, I am so glad to find someone else who knows him   
and fears for him."  
  
"Yes, this war is horrible. I am so glad to have found you   
as well. I see now what a wonderful love Darien has."  
  
"Serena blushed. "You are so kind. Thank you. Would you like   
a new, fresh dress?" she asked considerately.  
  
"All right. Thank you," Molina said.  
  
The battle on Earth was almost over with nearly all of the   
army destroyed, but Darien still standing strong. The enemy made a   
strategic move that no one expected. They moved the fight to the   
Moon Kingdom where a new army that had been training added their   
forces to the dwindling armies of all the combined inner solar   
system planets.   
  
The sailor soldiers continued their tough training inside   
the heavily guarded palace. None of them joining the fight yet as   
they finished up their training and preparations.  
  
Chadwick sat with Raye. "I do not want to see you go love,"   
he begged.  
  
"Chadwick, I am sorry. I do not want to leave you anymore   
than you want me to go, but I do not have a choice. This is my   
duty, my life."  
  
Chadwick shook his head. "No, forget duty. Choose love.   
You do have a choice. Even now, one always has a choice."  
  
"Then I choose to fight with the power I have," Raye said   
softly.  
  
Chadwick hung his head. "Please then," he pleaded. "Take   
good care of yourself."  
  
"For you Chadwick, I will do my best," she promised.  
  
Amy leaned into her lover's embrace. "Oh Gregory, I wish   
so badly I did not have to go into this war."  
  
"I also wish you did not have to go."  
  
"I will stay. Stay with me please," she begged.  
  
"I have a responsibility. I have vowed to always protect   
my planet Mercury as have you. Would you go back on those vows   
because it has gotten so frightening and tough?" he asked.  
  
She thought for a few moments. "No, you are right of   
course. It is just so horrible, all of it."  
  
"I know," Gregory said sadly.  
  
He put his arm around Lita's shoulder. She turned to   
Kenneth and leaned back into his warm, safe embrace.  
  
"Are you going to join the army?" she asked, already   
knowing the answer.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I am going to fight too," she said.  
  
"I know."  
  
"Will you miss me?"  
  
"Terribly," he promised.  
  
"You will take care of yourself when you fight Kenneth?"  
  
"Of course. I want to be back with you when it is all   
over. You will also take good care of yourself right?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she promised him. Both held each other and said no   
more. No more words were needed. They both silently understood   
each other's fear and great responsibility to the future of the   
Alliance.  
  
Princess Mina looked at Artemis who was stretching out on   
the bed. "Another day Mina," Artemis said.  
  
"Yes, so it is," Mina said quietly.  
  
"Are you all right Mina?"  
  
"I hate everything about this Artemis," she burst out.   
"It is too overwhelming. I know I have these powers, and I have   
to fight to help save all the planets in the Alliance including   
Venus. But I am so scared. The fighting and preparing is all   
right, even fun sometimes. To actually fight in a real war   
though-that is different. Overwhelming and reminds me too much   
of my past."  
  
"I know Mina. I am so sorry this burden has been placed   
on your shoulder. You are strong and intelligent enough to make   
it, but you have gone through enough hell in your life. It would   
be ideal if you got a break from that and had a chance to live   
and find some happiness. Alas life gives you no chance, and the   
people need you."  
  
Mina nodded. "I know," she said simply, exiting the room   
to join the others in their last training and preparation   
session.  
  
And Sailor Pluto watched them all with a deep sadness   
and overwhelming helplessness.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	11. A New Beginning

Epilogue, A New Beginning:  
  
They all ran into the battle that was quickly being lost   
by the dwindling Moon Kingdom army. "Jupiter Thunder Crash!" Sailor   
Jupiter yelled.  
  
"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"  
  
"Mercury Bubbles Blast!"  
  
"Mars Fire Ignite!" Skirts of various colors blurred   
together.  
  
"Where is Sailor Moon?" Jupiter shouted.  
  
"She was just training with us," Mercury said in confusion.  
  
"We have to go back and get her!" Mars yelled.  
  
"No!" Sailor Venus, their elected leader, screamed. "We have   
to keep fighting. She will probably come shortly, and besides they   
desperately need us!"  
  
"All right!" Jupiter and Mercury shouted. Mars reluctantly   
followed orders, all of them deeply worried inside though about   
Princess Serena.  
  
Luna and Artemis glanced at each other. "I will stay with   
the warriors and help them out as best as I can," Artemis said.   
"You can go look for Princess Serena if you like."  
  
Luna nodded her head. "Good plan," she acknowledged as she   
ran off in search of Serena.  
  
Princess Serena had been trapped by Queen Beryl.   
Queen Beryl floated in front of her. Prince Darien found   
his love and jumped in front of her protectively.   
  
Queen Beryl spoke. "Why don't you join me Darien? As you   
see we are on the brink of winning this war. So join the winning   
side and be King by my side."  
  
"Never you twisted snake," Darien spat out.  
  
She growled and sent Darien up in a swirling cloud of wind.   
Princess Serena ran to join him. "No Serena!" he screamed.  
  
She took no heed of what he said and jumped into the wind,   
getting closer to him. Each had his or her arms outstretched. "No   
Darien. I want to be with you!" she shouted desperately, her love   
shining through her terrified eyes."  
  
They grabbed hands for a moment before Queen Beryl shot   
another rip of power at them, seperating them. They screamed in   
pain and loss.  
  
Meanwhile at the forefront of the Dark Kingdom army stood   
Malachite, Zoicite, Nephrite, and Jadaeite. Jadaeite shot at Sailor  
Mars who had been distracted by Luna running off to get Serena.   
Sailor Mars screamed, and she weakly stood up and sent her fire   
power back at him. He easily diverted it and threw her to the   
ground, bombarding her with attacks. She gave one more weary scream   
as she died.  
  
"MARS!!" JUpiter shouted in horror. She shot at Jadaeite,   
and at that instant Nephrite attacked her from behind. She was   
lying on her stomach on the ground as he sucked all her energy out   
of her body and died.   
  
"JUPITER!" Sailor Venus shouted as Mercury got out her   
scanner, hurriedly looking for any weaknesses on the four army   
leaders. "Venus Crescent Beam Smash!!" Venus screamed. She screamed   
again in pain as Malachite sent it right back at her.  
  
Zoicite quickly attacked the distracted Sailor Mercury.   
Malachite and Zoicite combined their powers to kill Venus and   
Mercury in one hit. Venus whimpered and Mercury moaned as their   
lives passed before their eyes, and they both lay dead on the   
ground.  
  
Queen Serenity ran up to see her army, the four sailor   
soldiers, as well as Serena and Darien all dead. She ran up to   
Serena and Darien, floating dead in the air. Tears were falling out   
of Serena's eyes. Queen Serenity knelt down. "Noo," her heartbroken   
voice rasped. She narrowed her eyes in determination and got ready   
to do the only thing that could save them.   
  
"No Queen you will die," Luna said upon realizing what the   
Queen planned to do.  
  
"It does not matter. I must do this if they are all to have   
a life as they deserve," Serenity said quietly.  
  
She put the crescent moon wand in the air and let her   
determination and power flow through it to allow them to be reborn   
on Earth many years later with a new life without her. She silently   
wished that Amy would have a father that did not emotionally abuse   
her, that Raye would have parents that did not beat her, that Mina   
would not be molested at a young age, and that Lita's father would   
not hurt her mother. She wished that Michelle got non-traditional   
parents and that Amara had a good mother, that Hotaru's parents   
would not neglect her, and that Trista's mother would not  
molest her. Of course she did not realize Trista was standing at   
the time gate and was not to die or get reborn. She also wished   
that Serena's father did not die. She hoped they would have better   
lives this time around but sent them with their sailor powers   
since she knew she was unfortunately sending Queen Beryl and her   
minions with them. She lay down in exhaustion and said goodbye to   
Luna and Artemis after making Luna promise to look after her   
daughter. She closed her eyes for the last time, the dead Moon   
Kingdom imprinted in her weary soul.  
  
The End  
  
Author's note-This ends the second story in a series of four   
stories.  
  
Another note-What Princess Raye experienced is called physical   
and emotional abuse. In fact all other forms of  
abuse: physical, verbal, and sexual are all automatically  
also emotionally and psychologically abusive though emotional   
abuse can also exist on its own without any of the other three.   
In my opinion and from some experience, the emotional and  
psychological abuse is the aspect of all the forms of child abuse   
that is the most damaging. The physical wounds will   
usually disappear. Sometimes right away, and sometimes not for a   
long time. On some occasions never at all, but the physical   
pain from the wound will be gone even then. The emotional abuse   
that always accompanies this physical abuse is the part that   
causes the physical abuse to affect the child throughout his/her   
adult life long after the physical wounds have healed. Here is   
the definition of child physcial abuse: "Physical abuse - Any   
non-accidental injury to a child. This includes hitting, kicking,   
slapping, shaking, burning, pinching, hair pulling, biting,   
choking, throwing, shoving, whipping, and paddling."  
  
The vague references to Princess Amy's fear of her father and his  
mistreatment of her are intended to show her as a victim of his  
emotional abuse which is defined as: "Emotional abuse - Any   
attitude or behavior which interferes with a child's mental health   
or social development. This includes yelling, screaming,   
name-calling, shaming, negative comparisons to others, telling them   
they are "bad, no good, worthless" or "a mistake". It also includes   
the failure to provide the affection and support necessary for the   
development of a child's emotional, social, physical and   
intellectual well-being. This includes ignoring, lack of appropriate   
physical affection (hugs), not saying "I love you", withdrawal of   
attention, lack of praise, and lack of positive reinforcement."   
  
Prince Darien also experienced emotional abuse. There is a common  
misconception that men can't be victims of emotional abuse or any  
kind of abuse, especially as an adult which simply isn't true.  
  
What Princess Lita experienced was another form of child emotional  
abuse because she saw her mother beat constantly by her father.   
When her father did this, it damaged her as much if not more than  
it damaged the mother whom he was actually hitting and calling names.  
  
Princess Mina experienced child sexual abuse at the hands of her  
father's guards. This is defined as: "Sexual abuse - Any sexual act   
between an adult and child. This includes fondling, penetration,   
intercourse, exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, child   
prostitution, group sex, oral sex, or forced observation of sexual   
acts."  
  
Princess Trista also experienced child sexual abuse at the hands  
of her mother. There is a common misconception that women can't   
sexually abuse as well as that men can't be victims of sexual   
abuse. Both are simply not true. Women can take that overpowering  
position as well, and it is an added pain for the survivor to   
have another misconception to deal with. Men often stay silent  
thinking it makes them less "manly" and women stay silent too   
no matter who their abuser was but especially if it was a woman  
because that is seen as impossible and doesn't fit in with our  
images of women or mothers. Just as it doesn't fit in with our  
images of men to see them as victims, but those misconceptions  
need to be thrown out the window.  
  
Princess Hotaru experienced neglect. This is the definition:   
"Neglect - Failure to provide for a child's physical needs. This   
includes lack of supervision, inappropriate housing or shelter,   
inadequate provision of food, inappropriate clothing for season   
or weather, abandonment, denial of medical care, and inadequate   
hygiene."  
  
What Princess Michelle and Princess Amara experienced were the  
unaccepting, close-minded attitudes of their parents and that  
is in my opinion another form of emotional abuse by not   
accepting them for the people they are. No one asks to be born  
gay or lesbian. It would be a lot easier for people not to be  
gay, so why can't people accept that it's not a choice but   
rather just a part of who the person is? It is natural that  
many parents may not be accepting at first due to the beliefs  
society places on it, but if the parent continually degrades  
the child and/or forbids the child to be him or herself then it   
is emotional abuse in my opinion.  
  
Child Abuse hotline Number- 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453)  
  
RAINN (Rape, abuse, and incest) hotline number- 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)  
Website-   
  
Quotes on childhood abuse come from this site-  



End file.
